Diverging from European Union rules after Brexit will mean more costs than benefits for British business, a report by the CBI employers' group says.
In a survey of 23 industry sectors, the vast majority preferred continued close alignment with EU regulations.
Agriculture, shipping and tourism might benefit, but this was "vastly outweighed" by the impact on other sectors, the CBI said.
However, critics said the report just promoted the interests of big business.
The report, called Smooth Operations, suggests the UK could still exert influence over important regulatory decisions through continued membership of the many EU agencies - such as the ones governing aerospace and chemicals - in which other non-EU nations like Turkey currently participate.
CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn said there was no appetite on the part of business for a bonfire of regulations, and called on the government to prioritise evidence over ideology in the negotiations over a future trade deal.
