January 2021: Brexit and the website changes UK businesses selling to Europe faced
Covers January 2021. Part of our search timeline: a month-by-month look at the changes that shaped SEO, AI search, paid ads and social media, written in November 2026 for local businesses with the benefit of hindsight.
Quick answer: On 1 January 2021 the Brexit transition period came to an end, and UK businesses with EU customers suddenly had new customs, VAT and delivery rules to deal with. Lots of them rewrote delivery information, adjusted prices and changed the international settings on their websites, while some set up separate EU sites or storefronts targeted correctly.
Most trades and local service firms work within a few miles of home, so this one passed many of them by. It did hit those that also sell products online, such as a fabrication workshop shipping gates and railings, or a heating spares business posting parts to customers in Ireland and beyond.
What changed in January 2021?
Fresh trading arrangements between the UK and the EU came into force. They brought customs declarations, changes to how VAT applies to imports and new delivery charges. Some UK retailers stopped selling to the EU for a while until they had adapted.
Why did UK businesses need to act?
Shoppers in Europe were hit by charges they had not expected and by slower deliveries, and that showed up in reviews and fewer repeat orders. Plain, accurate delivery and returns information became a must. Businesses targeting more than one country also needed the right currency, language and hreflang settings.
What to do about it now
- Set out delivery costs, duties and delivery times plainly for each country you ship to.
- Use hreflang properly if your site has separate versions for different countries or languages.
- Keep shipping and tax settings in Merchant Center correct for every country you target.
Frequently asked questions
What does hreflang do?
It is an HTML attribute that helps Google match searchers with the right country or language version of a page.
Is a separate EU website worth it for a UK business?
That depends on how much you sell there and how you fulfil orders. A dedicated site or storefront can make pricing and delivery simpler, but it needs its own SEO attention.
Sources and further reading
Want help with this? Our local SEO service also covers the technical settings for businesses that sell beyond the UK. Get in touch.
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