Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Industry fears disruption from new post-Brexit border checks

Industry fears disruption from new post-Brexit border checks
A traffic marshall checks the documents of a freight lorry driver at Waterbrook Park facility in Ashford, south east England on January 15, 2021. (Photo by BEN STANSALL/AFP via Getty Images)
AFP via Getty Images

British businesses are warning of a new wave of post-Brexit trade disruption because EU exporters are not ready for UK customs changes which start this month, and Britain's port infrastructure might be unprepared too.

Britain left the European Union's single market in January 2021 but it has repeatedly delayed imposing checks on EU imports.


By contrast, the EU immediately enforced its rules, leading to port delays in 2021 and prompting some British exporters - such as cheese-makers and high-end beef farmers - to give up on selling to the bloc, at least initially.

Make UK, representing manufacturers, said in December that 90% of firms it surveyed still faced problems doing business with the EU with customs and clearance the biggest barrier.

Marco Forgione, Director General of the Institute of Export & International Trade, representing UK importers, said large EU firms would probably cope with Britain's new rules but smaller ones - such as specialist food exporters - might struggle.

Some of them might decide it has become too complicated to trade with the UK and stop exporting, Forgione said.

"That then leads to price pressure and the possibility of scarcity," he said.

Britain has postponed full implementation of its post-Brexit border controls on food and fresh products five times due to worries about port disruption and the cost-of-living crisis.

But its new Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) comes into force on 31 January and will be introduced in three phases.

Initially, EU exporters of animal and plant products, such as eggs, dairy, meat and berries, will be required to present Export Health Certificates (EHCs) to British authorities.

But physical checks on shipments will only start on 30 April followed by a requirement for safety and security certificates from 31 October.

"We remain committed to delivering the most advanced border in the world," a government spokesperson said.

William Bain, head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce, said there was a risk of congestion and delays when the checks start in April.

Britain imports up to 70 per cent of its fresh food from the EU in the winter months, falling to about 30 per cent in warmer months, with as many as 1,000 trucks daily arriving at its ports.

"Will the government enforce by preventing material which doesn't have an electronic EHC from entering the GB border? Or does it let stuff in and then simply enforce through contact with the companies involved afterwards?" Bain said.

"The government's not telling us what they're going to do."

The British Retail Consortium and the Fresh Produce Consortium have also expressed concern. The British Meat Processors Association is worried that a lack of veterinary capacity in the EU might slow health certification.

James Barnes, chair of the Horticultural Trades Association, said there was a risk that the UK's new border infrastructure, processes and IT systems would not be ready for April, the biggest month for plant shipments.

"It's unfortunate that it's happening when we think things aren't ready and at the busiest time of year," Barnes said.

The government said all infrastructure and systems were ready or on track to be ready by April and it would implement checks carefully with a view to avoiding delays.

The Dutch Association of Wholesalers in Floricultural Products called for a delay in the UK border checks until 2025.

That plea fell on deaf ears, but with a British national election expected in 2024, businesses hope the government might adopt a light touch to avoid delays and shortages.

"They've got the powers to dial up or dial down the mode of enforcement that they want to use, so it's entirely in their hands to wave stuff through," said the BCC's Bain.

(Reuters)

More for you

Plant-based ready meal

Plant-based ready meal brand on brink of collapse

British plant-based ready meal maker Allplants has filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators, citing ongoing financial losses, stated recent reports.

Allplants, known as the UK’s largest vegan ready meal brand, has faced mounting losses over recent years. Filing the notice provides the company with a critical window to explore options to avoid liquidation, such as restructuring, refinancing, or negotiating a sale.

Keep ReadingShow less
sottish retail-wholesale

Scottish retail-wholesale figure celebrated at University of Stirling graduation

Entrepreneur and businessperson Stanley Morrice, an influential figure in the retail and wholesale sectors, received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Stirling at Stirling’s winter graduation held today (22).

Stanley, from Fraserburgh, is being recognised for his services to Scottish food, drink and agriculture. He entered the sector as a school leaver. In 1993, he joined Aberdeen-based convenience stores Aberness Foods, which traded as Mace. He rose to become Sales Director, boosting income by 50 per cent and tripling profits, and went on to be Managing Director, successfully leading the business through a strategic sale to supermarket group Somerfield.

Keep ReadingShow less
consumer cheer
iStock image
iStock image

Consumers cheer up as Budget nerves lift: GfK

British consumers have turned less pessimistic following the government's first budget and the US presidential election and they are showing more appetite for spending in the run-up to Christmas, according to a new survey.

The GfK Consumer Confidence Index, the longest-running measure of British consumer sentiment, rose to -18 in November, its highest since August and up from -21 in October which was its lowest since March.

Keep ReadingShow less
Retail Sales
Photo: iStock

Retail sales take bigger-than-expected hit in October

British retail sales fell by much more than expected in October, according to official data that added to other signs of a loss of momentum in the economy in the run-up to the first budget of prime minister Keir Starmer's new government.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said sales volumes have fallen by 0.7 per cent in October. A Reuters poll of economists had forecast a monthly fall of 0.3 per cent in sales volumes from September.

Keep ReadingShow less