The UK government has announced that checks on fruit and vegetables coming in from the European Union will not commence until the end of October at the earliest. This decision provides temporary respite for the food industry, which has been concerned about potential post-Brexit port delays. The first phase of the UK's new import system for food and fresh produce, which has been deferred five times due to fears about border disruption and the cost-of-living crisis, was to be implemented on Wednesday.
EU exporters of medium-risk animal and plant products will initially need to present export health and phytosanitary certificates to British authorities. Physical checks on shipments will start on April 30, followed by a requirement for safety and security certificates from October 31. However, British businesses have expressed concerns about further disruption, citing that EU exporters and Britain's port infrastructure may not be adequately prepared for these changes.
Defra sparked confusion last week when it unexpectedly reclassified certain fruits and vegetables from "low" to "medium" risk, but it also introduced a temporary "easement," allowing these products to be treated as a low risk until October 31, 2024. However, no firm date has been set for the removal of this easement. Defra stated that the easement is expected to remain in place until "at least" October 2024 and that the industry will be given at least three months to prepare for any changes.
The Fresh Produce Consortium estimates that the reclassification would add 200 million pounds ($253 million) a year to import costs, which would likely impact consumers. The UK government, however, has stated that the inflationary impact of the new Border Target Operating Model system will be less than 0.2 percentage points over a three-year period.
Source: saltwire.com