The introduction of post-Brexit inspections for food, plants, and animal products entering Britain has been postponed once again, marking the fifth delay confirmed by the government. As a result, these checks will now commence at the end of January 2024.
Originally, the implementation of fresh import regulations on EU food items was scheduled to start in October. However, the government's decision to reschedule the onset of these new import controls extends the gradual rollout by an additional three months, pushing it beyond late October.
The rationale behind this delay, as stated by the government, is to provide businesses with more time for preparation following consultations with the industry. Traders said they had limited time to adapt to the new rules.
There is concern that the extra checks on imported goods will push up prices and fuel inflation.
From January 30, goods such as medium-risk animal products, plants, non-animal origin high-risk food items from the EU will necessitate health certificates for imports. Subsequently, these goods will undergo physical inspections at the UK border starting from the conclusion of April next year.
In the final phase, safety and security declarations for EU imports will come into force from the end of October 2024.
Previously, the commencement of health certification for "medium-risk" imports was slated for October, with physical checks set to initiate in January 2024.
However, the Cold Chain Federation responded positively to the news:
"UK food retailers, hospitality businesses and consumers were in line for major disruption because many EU food-producing businesses supplying into the UK are not ready for the new requirements," said Shane Brennan, the Chief Executive of the Cold Chain Federation."
Read more on the BBC website.