Goods valued under about 500 UK pounds could be sent to the US pretty easily before September this year, so the fabric for a kilt, a jacket or a cape or a top notch overcoat could be posted free of VAT without duty to be paid on the deal.

I believe that there was a steady stream of such parcels going by airmail several times a week from many weavers - though some businesses which imported from the Continent were no longer able to obtain the same stock as before despite long associations, not after Brexit, so that did literally divide the market.

I rather lament the absence of quality Italian yarns these days. Whole containerloads of yarn were taken to the big shows and we would stagger out laden with sacks full of glorious colours. It really did affect the small scale production workers such as myself and altered what could be achieved - how it will turn out when something affects a nation the size of the US still remains to be seen but I can't see the logic behind what has been done.

Anything and everything sent to the US now has a tariff on it, plus a flat fee for collecting it - only letters without inclusions are exempt.

We can't even post a Remembrance poppy to the US without being subject to botheration.

Anne the Pleater