Britain ends long Brexit journey with economic break from EU

Britain has completed its economic break from the European Union. The formal move came at 11 p.m. Thursday in London.

It ended a 48-year partnership with the trading bloc and started a new, more distant relationship between Britain and its continental neighbors. The single market and customs union allows people, goods and services to flow freely across more than two dozen countries.

A different trade deal took effect, bringing new restrictions and red tape. But to Brexit supporters, the arrangement reclaimed national independence from the Brussels-based bloc. Britain left the EU politically almost a year ago but remained part of its economic structures until the end of 2020.