Full checks are needed to show that goods were not merely assembled in Britain

All British goods entering the European Union will be checked to ensure that Britain does not become an “assembly hub” for China or America next year, Michel Barnier warned yesterday.

The EU’s chief negotiator said that even with a positive outcome to post-Brexit trade talks, full customs checks would be needed to determine the origin of British goods.

“All goods coming from the UK as they do from China or the US will have to be checked at the border of the single market. Those checks will be put into place,” he said.

“These checks are particularly important given the UK’s position as a major entry point into the single market and as part of these checks we will need to pay the greatest attention