The ‘cost of undoing Europe’: Brexit and the UK textile and apparel industry

Patrizia Casadei; Simona Iammarino; Philip Mccann; Raquel Ortega-Argiles

doi:10.1080/21582041.2025.2604525

The ‘cost of undoing Europe’: Brexit and the UK textile and apparel industry

Patrizia Casadei
, Simona Iammarino
, Philip Mccann
, Raquel Ortega-Argiles

IMP General

London School of Economics & Political Science (University of London)
Gran Sasso Science Institute

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

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Abstract

Brexit, marked by the UK’s 2021 exit from the Single European Market and Customs Union under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, offers a unique case of reversing deep economic integration. The reintroduction of non-tariff barriers disrupted UK-EU trade, particularly in the GVC-sensitive textile and apparel (T&A) sector. Using survey data from 1,008 UK firms, this paper explores firm-level consequences, strategic responses, and value chain adjustments. Findings reveal that Brexit severely affected T&A firms and their upstream and downstream linkages. Physical barriers were the most disruptive, driving firms to adjust suppliers, products, and locations. Consequences varied by firm type, with widespread calls for barrier reduction and stronger government support.

Original language	English
Journal	Contemporary Social Science
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1080/21582041.2025.2604525
Publication status	Published - 8 Jan 2026

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure

Keywords

Brexit
European Union
Textile and apparel industry
Global value chains
Trade
Firm level survey

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

The Productivity Institute
Manchester Institute of Innovation Research

Access to Document

10.1080/21582041.2025.2604525

Revised_Manuscript - acceptedAccepted author manuscript, 378 KBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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abstract = "Brexit, marked by the UK{\textquoteright}s 2021 exit from the Single European Market and Customs Union under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, offers a unique case of reversing deep economic integration. The reintroduction of non-tariff barriers disrupted UK-EU trade, particularly in the GVC-sensitive textile and apparel (T\&A) sector. Using survey data from 1,008 UK firms, this paper explores firm-level consequences, strategic responses, and value chain adjustments. Findings reveal that Brexit severely affected T\&A firms and their upstream and downstream linkages. Physical barriers were the most disruptive, driving firms to adjust suppliers, products, and locations. Consequences varied by firm type, with widespread calls for barrier reduction and stronger government support.",

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AU - Mccann, Philip

AU - Ortega-Argiles, Raquel

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AB - Brexit, marked by the UK’s 2021 exit from the Single European Market and Customs Union under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, offers a unique case of reversing deep economic integration. The reintroduction of non-tariff barriers disrupted UK-EU trade, particularly in the GVC-sensitive textile and apparel (T&A) sector. Using survey data from 1,008 UK firms, this paper explores firm-level consequences, strategic responses, and value chain adjustments. Findings reveal that Brexit severely affected T&A firms and their upstream and downstream linkages. Physical barriers were the most disruptive, driving firms to adjust suppliers, products, and locations. Consequences varied by firm type, with widespread calls for barrier reduction and stronger government support.

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M3 - Article

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JO - Contemporary Social Science

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ER -

The ‘cost of undoing Europe’: Brexit and the UK textile and apparel industry

Abstract

UN SDGs

Keywords

Research Beacons, Institutes and Platforms

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Cite this