Business Insights and Conditions Survey questions: 4 April to 17 April 2022

These questions are for Wave 54 of the fortnightly Business Insights and Conditions Survey (BICS) dispatched on the 4^th of April 2022. These are the most up-to-date survey questions.

Which of the following statements best describes your business's trading status?

• Currently fully trading

• Currently partially trading

• Paused trading but intends to restart in the next two weeks

• Paused trading and does not intend to restart in the next two weeks

• Permanently ceased trading

Where in the UK are your sites temporarily or permanently closed, if any?

• Northern Ireland

• Scotland

• Wales

• East of England

• East Midlands

• Greater London

• North East of England

• North West of England

• South East of England

• South West of England

• West Midlands

• Yorkshire and The Humber

• Not sure

• Do not have any sites

• None of our sites are temporarily or permanently closed

Which of the following best describes your business's exporting status?

• Exported in the last 12 months

• Exported more than 12 months ago

• Never exported but have goods or services that could be developed for export

• Never exported and do not have goods or services suitable for export

• Not sure

How did your business's exporting in March 2022 compare with March 2021?

• Exported more

• Exporting stayed the same

• Exported less

• Unable to export in March 2022

• Not sure

Did your business experience any of the following challenges with exporting goods or services in March 2022?

• Additional paperwork

• Basing some staff in an EU member state to be allowed to work

• Change in transportation costs

• Closure of infrastructure used to export goods or services

• Customs duties or levies

• Destination countries changing their border restrictions

• Disruption at UK borders

• Finding information on how to export

• Lack of hauliers to transport goods or lack of logistics equipment

• Reduced demand for products and services

• Time taken for checks at the border

• Work permit or visa restrictions, or lack of mutual recognition of professional qualifications

• Other

• Did not experience any challenges with exporting in March 2022

What was the main cause of these exporting challenges?

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

• End of the EU transition period

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the end of the EU transition period

• Other

• Not sure

Does your business currently use rules of origin to access lower or zero tariffs on exports?

• Yes, to EU countries

• Yes, to non-EU countries

• Yes, to both EU and non-EU countries

• No

• Not sure

How has using rules of origin when exporting to the EU changed the amount of administration for your business?

• Administration has increased

• Administration has stayed the same

• Administration has decreased

• Not sure

Why does your business not currently use rules of origin to access lower or zero tariffs?

• Administrative costs of rules of origin outweigh the potential tariff saving

• Exports do not meet rules of origin requirements

• Lack of understanding staffing or expertise to use rules of origin

• My business has attempted to use rules of origin but has been unsuccessful

• The EU does not charge tariffs on the goods the business exports

• Other

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Which of the following best describes your business's importing status?

• Imported in the last 12 months

• Imported more than 12 months ago

• Never imported

• Not sure

How did your business's importing in March 2022 compare with March 2021?

• Imported more

• Importing stayed the same

• Imported less

• Unable to import in March 2022

• Not sure

Did your business experience any of the following challenges with importing goods or services in March 2022?

• Additional paperwork

• Change in transportation costs

• Closure of infrastructure used to import goods or services

• Customs duties or levies

• Destination countries changing their border restrictions

• Disruption at UK borders

• Finding information on how to import

• Lack of hauliers to transport goods or lack of logistics equipment

• Suppliers not continuing to trade

• Suppliers not customs ready

• Time taken for checks at the border

• Other

• Did not experience any challenges with importing in March 2022

What was the main cause of these importing challenges?

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

• End of the EU transition period

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the end of the EU transition period

• Other

• Not sure

Has your business had any extra costs due to the end of the EU transition period?

• Additional transportation costs

• Costs associated with changing supply chains

• Costs associated with the storage of goods

• Costs due to increased red tape

• Costs incurred from wasted goods

• Cost of setting up EU subsidiaries

• Extra costs in the prices of goods and services imported

• Extra tariffs or taxes

• Other

• Not sure

• No extra costs

Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from the EU in March 2022?

• Yes, the business was able to get the materials, goods or services it needed

• Yes, but the business had to change suppliers or find alternative solutions

• No, the business was not able to get the materials, goods or services needed

• Not applicable

Does your business intend to open any new branches or subsidiaries in the EU in the next 12 months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

Was your business able to get the materials, goods or services it needed from within the UK in March 2022?

• Yes, the business was able to get the materials, goods or services it needed

• Yes, but the business had to change suppliers or find alternative solutions

• No, the business was not able to get the materials, goods or services needed

• Not applicable

How much disruption to your business have these challenges caused?

• Major disruption

• Moderate disruption

• Minor disruption

• No disruption

• Not sure

Did your business experience any global supply chain disruption in March 2022?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please give more details about how your business has been affected by global supply chain disruption.

Which of the following, if any, will be the main concern for your business in April 2022?

• Business rates

• Competition

• Energy prices

• Exchange rates

• Inflation of goods and services prices

• Interest rates

• Introduction of full customs controls

• Supply chain disruption

• Taxation

• Other

• Not sure

• No concerns for my business

Has your business been affected by recent increases in energy prices?

• Yes, production has been affected

• Yes, suppliers have been affected

• Yes, both production and suppliers have been affected

• No, my business has not been affected

• Not sure

• Not applicable

In which of the following ways, if any, has your business been affected by price rises?

• Discontinued lines of sale

• Had to absorb costs

• Had to change suppliers

• Had to make redundancies

• Had to pass on price increases to customers

• Had to reduce staff work hours

• Unable to maintain workspaces

• Other

• Not sure

• My business has not been affected by price rises

Has your business sent goods from GB to Northern Ireland in the last 12 months?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

In March 2022, how did the volume of goods your business sent from GB to Northern Ireland compare with February 2022?

• Volume increased

• Volume stayed the same

• Volume decreased

• Stopped sending goods to Northern Ireland

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Please give more details about why the volume of goods sent from GB to Northern Ireland changed in March 2022.

• Comments

Is your business using, or intending to use, increased homeworking as a permanent business model going forward?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

Why is your business using, or intending to use, increased homeworking as a permanent business model going forward?

• Ability to better match jobs to skills

• Ability to recruit from a wider geographical pool in the UK

• Ability to recruit from a wider geographical pool internationally

• Improved staff wellbeing

• Increased productivity

• Reduced carbon emissions

• Reduced overheads

• Reduced sickness absence

• Reduced wage bill

• Oher

• Not sure

Why is your business not intending to use increased homeworking as a permanent business model going forward?

• Concerns with integrating new starters into the workplace

• Costs of employee equipment

• Difficulties managing staff remotely

• Negative impact on working culture

• Not suitable for our business

• Reduced communication

• Reduced productivity

• Reduced reliability and retention of staff

• Security concerns

• Other

• Not sure

Is your business using, or intending to use, any of the following safety measures in the workplace?

• Adjusted working practices

• Carbon dioxide monitors

• Customer coronavirus (COVID-19) checks

• Hygiene measures

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Social distancing

• Temperature checks

• Other

• Not sure

• None of the above

Is your business providing regular coronavirus (COVID-19) testing for its workforce?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

What percentage of your workforce are receiving regular coronavirus (COVID-19) testing?

• Approximate percentage of your workforce receiving regular testing

• Not sure

Is your business currently experiencing a shortage of workers?

• Yes

• No

• Not sure

• Not applicable

How has the shortage of workers affected your business?

• Employees working increased hours

• Had to pause trading entirely

• Had to pause trading of some of the business

• Had to recruit temporary workers

• Unable to meet demands

• Other

• Not sure

• My business has not been affected

Please tell us anything else about your business's current situation relating to topics covered in this survey.

• Comments