Thousands of German firms sought advice on Brexit

Thousands of German businesses sought advice in recent weeks on how to prepare for Britain's exit from the European Union in a sign they are "highly uneasy", the head of the DIHK Chambers of Industry and Commerce was cited as saying on Monday.

DIHK President Eric Schweitzer told the Passauer Neue Presse newspaper that it was more important than ever for German firms to prepare for the different possible forms of Brexit, adding of the negotiations: "The cat and mouse game is never ending."

Britain is due to leave the EU in March, but talks on managing the unprecedented split have been stalled over differences on how to avoid border checks between EU member Ireland and Britain's province of Northern Ireland.

To help its members prepare for Brexit, the DIHK has produced a "Brexit Checklist" that addresses questions including customs duties, contracts and taxes.

"More than 11,000 downloads (of the checklist) in recent weeks shows that companies are highly uneasy," Schweitzer said in comments published in the Passauer Neue Presse on Monday.