LONDON – The team at Brompton Bicycle Ltd. thought they were prepared for Brexit.Bosses at the British firm, which exports hand-made folding bikes to 47 countries, looked at the uncertainty swirling around the U.K.’s decision to leave the European Union and started stockpiling parts.
Yet with just over a month to go until Britain makes a sharp economic break with the EU, Brompton faces uncertainty about supplies and unexpected new competition from China, all amid a global pandemic.
Its experience is evidence that Brexit is set to be bumpy, even for businesses that have tried to get ready.“We’d built up this fantastic stock for the worst-case Brexit scenario,” said Brompton chief executive Will Butler-Adams.Then the coronavirus pandemic.