The UK was set to roll out new health certification requirements for medium and high-risk goods originating in the EU, such as meat and dairy, from October, but there is now official confirmation from No 10 that last week’s Financial Times report was correct and the government is postponing border controls until January 2024.

Plans to roll out controls on all goods entering Britain post-Brexit were initially meant to begin at the start of 2021, around the same time the EU introduced strict requirements on all UK food exports.

However, import controls have since been delayed four times over the past two years, with the October 2023 deadline’s move to January the fifth to be delayed. 

"Having listened to the views of industry, the government has agreed to a delay of three months for the introduction of remaining sanitary and phytosanitary controls" it said in a statement.

New physical checks on imports, due to come into effect in January, will now start in April.

According to a survey of EU suppliers by the Cold Chain Federation (CCF), the delay could avoid disruption during the Christmas trading window, with 39% of European food producing businesses supplying goods to the UK unaware of the new rules.

However, the National Farmers Union has campaigned vociferously against further postponement to checks, arguing that it is unfair to British producers, as it continues to give EU farmers a competitive advantage, while UK exporters have had to endure checks on food exports to the bloc for the past two years.

Under the new post-Brexit import rules, due to come into force from 31st October and now pushed back a further three months, export health certificates signed by a qualified certifying officer would become mandatory for every consignment of ‘medium risk’ meat, dairy and fish products exported from the EU to the UK.

The CCF had written to ministers, sharing their survey’s findings, requesting that the October implementation be moved back to the 31st January 2024, because they believe that the government needs to deliver a much wider and better resourced communications campaign, to increase awareness among EU businesses.

The CCF said that with so much stress, cost inflation and other pressures in the food supply chain this year, moving the start date to January 2024 could make a big difference.

Their survey also found that 78% of EU businesses believed costs will increase to their UK customers as a result of the new rules, and while 60% said they planned to continue servicing UK customers at the same frequency after the new rules implementation, 10% had planned to reduce the frequency and 7% planned to stop altogether.

With the current regulations for imports of foodstuffs remaining unchanged, there is a further three months to prepare your suppliers for the changeover and keep your supply chains running freely. 

We can guide you on the new import procedures and help you to educate your suppliers, with full support for all your import and export documentary needs.

Metro are at the forefront of customs brokerage solutions for the food and drink industry, with our automated CuDoS declaration platform and dedicated team of customs experts, reacting swiftly to any changes in the UK’s trading regimes.

To learn how we can simplify and automate customs declarations for your businesses, please EMAIL Andy Fitchett, Brokerage Manager, to review the options.

The Financial Times has reported that Brexit checks on food and food products coming to the UK from the EU, that were due to start at the end of October have been delayed by the government for the fifth time, due to fears over inflation.

The decision to suspend plans to enforce the controls, which have been applied in the other direction to British exports to the EU since January 2021, is due to inflation fears and will be announced imminently, according to the Financial Times.

Press reports said it was a “Treasury purge” of all changes that would cause disruption to the supply chain, given the sensitivity of the food market to price increases in the current economic climate.

Under the proposed controls that were due to be introduced in October, EU exporters of food products to the UK would have required “export health certificates” costing several hundred euros each and requiring a physical sign-off by a veterinary surgeon.

The food industry warned last June that plans to charge a flat-rate inspection fee of up to £43 on each consignment of food coming from the EU would drive up food prices, with the government estimating total additional costs of EU controls at £420mn a year.

The government has previously cited the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine as reasons for delaying the new checks.

On 5th April, The Border Target Operating Model: Draft for Feedback was published by the Cabinet Office, it gave a clear time line for import controls on EU originating food products.

31st October 2023 - Export health certificates and phytosanitary certificates are introduced for medium risk animal products and plant and plant products imported to GB from the EU.

31st December 2023 - permanent waivers introduced from the requirement to submit Safety and Security declarations on certain categories of low-risk movements - fish which have been caught in UK territorial seas and landed outside of the UK.

1st January 2024 - Documentary checks and physical and identity checks at the border to be introduced for medium risk animal products, plant and plant products imported from the EU. Controls will also be applied to RoW low risk products, and pre notification no longer required for low risk plants/plant products.

31st October 2024 - Safety and Security declarations are required for EU imports. Alongside this, use of the UK Single Trade Window will remove duplication across pre-arrival datasets where possible.

A new timetable has not yet been signed off by ministers, but the start of the new regime is expected to slip into next year. It was originally supposed to have started in July 2021.

The current regulations for movements of foodstuffs remain unchanged, Metro as ever will be here to offer full support for all your import and export documentary needs.

Metro are at the forefront of customs brokerage solutions for the food and drink industry, with our automated CuDoS declaration platform and dedicated team of customs experts, reacting swiftly to any changes in the UK’s trading regimes.

To learn how we can simplify and automate customs declarations for your businesses, please EMAIL Andy Fitchett, Brokerage Manager, to review the options.