Wednesday newspaper round-up: Food and drink exports, Apple, Jes Staley
Leaving the European Union without a trade deal in place could put up to 97% of British food and drink exports at risk, according to a House of Lords report that lays bare the agricultural industry’s overwhelming reliance on local markets. As negotiations between the EU and British government appear to take a turn for worse, concerns are growing that failure to reach an exit deal could leave many industries facing steep tariff barriers in future – something government ministers hope could be offset by opportunities in other international export markets. – Guardian
It will take an extra £15bn of spending cuts or tax rises to eliminate the budget deficit by the time of the 2022 election, a leading thinktank has said as it laid bare the damaging legacy of the financial crisison UK living standards and public finances. The Institute for Fiscal Studies said that despite “two parliaments of pain”, the Conservative-led austerity drive had made little difference to public spending when measured as a share of national income and compared with pre-downturn levels. – Guardian
Apple reported an unexpected decline in iPhone sales on Tuesday night, although its profits rose slightly as it managed to sell more expensive versions of its smartphone. The American tech giant said it had sold 50.7m iPhones in the three months to the end of April, 1pc below the same period last year. – Telegraph
The boss of Barclays has become embroiled in a dispute between private equity giant KKR and his brother-in-law, costing the bank business and potentially raising further questions about the chief executive’s judgement in the wake of the whistleblowing scandal. Jes Staley, the Barclays chief, is already under pressure after it was revealed last month that he was being investigated by British regulators for breaching rules designed to protect anonymous whistleblowers. – Telegraph
Motor manufacturers could be exposed to losses of billions of euros from risky loans made by their lending businesses to help customers to buy diesel cars, analysts have warned. German groups such as BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen face losses of up to €3.5 billion each from their financial services divisions, according to a report by Sanford Bernstein, an American investment bank. – The Times
After months of wrangling, Greece and its international lenders have reached a deal that unlocks fresh financial aid for the eurozone’s weakest economy in return for new austerity measures. The agreement, which will lead to new labour reforms, further cuts to pensions and the sale of state assets, resulted from marathon negotiations in Athens between Greek finance ministry officials and bailout monitors representing the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. – The Times