Here's Dan Lewis. BrexitCentrals's resident "tariff expert". Spouting some more nonsense. Here's why:
This is a completely specious argument. The EU codes (CN) are based on the WCO's Harmonised System (HS). If something isn't specifically listed it falls under an "Other" category. Carving out a new code for a particular item is often done to specifically exclude it from duty
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgnGWpXW4AETwxe.jpg)
And here is an example of exactly that happening, which Dan Lewis, author of this BrexitCentral article got complete wrong in this other BrexitCentral article. He wrongly assumed a duty was being put on something when it was being taken off.
Here Dan says receipts from duties are rising. I haven't check his source for this, but assuming its correct, did Dan ever consider that this might be due to a rise in the value of imports?
Shall we check?
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgnHi_ZWkAAiqkR.jpg)
This table show the value imports over the last few years according to the ONS (ons.gov.uk/economy/nation…)
The value of imports rose from £406.2Bn to £455.5Bn over the period Dan uses.
Using Dan's figures what is the percentage of duty receipts over imports for each year?
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgnH5P7XcAAsAgg.jpg)
Well it appears the percentage has fallen from 0.76% to 0.74%
The value of imports is from EU and non-EU. But we are told, are we not, that our trade with the EU is falling as a percentage of total trade. So if we looked at just non-EU imports, the fall could be greater.
![](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DgnIBpFW0AAryK6.jpg)