The introduction of post-Brexit checks on food, plant and animal produce arriving in Britain has been delayed for the fifth time, the government has confirmed, meaning they will not begin until the end of January next year.
The decision to once again push back the beginning of new controls on imports, which was widely anticipated, means the phased introduction has been delayed by a further three months from late October.
The government said it was giving businesses more time to prepare after engagement with industry. Traders said they had limited time to adapt to the new rules.
The move has also been interpreted as a response to concerns that the start of checks would further fuel food price inflation during the cost of living crisis, although the government has estimated that the impact of the new border strategy on headline inflation would amount to “less than 0.2% across three years”.
Controls of goods exported from the UK to the EU have been in place since January 2021, meaning checks on items travelling in the other direction will only begin three years later. This has previously prompted domestic food producers to complain that their continental rivals had a free pass, while they were forced to endure checks on all fresh food exports to the bloc.
From 30 January, imports of items including medium-risk animal products, plants and plant products and high-risk food of non-animal origin from the EU will require health certificates, followed by physical inspections of these goods at the UK border from the end 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.
Full customs controls for “non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods” will also be introduced from January, such as food and feed products that are not owned or processed in Northern Ireland by a registered or approved business.
The government said its border strategy, known as the target operating model (TOM), would “better protect the UK against biosecurity threats”, as the regime would include “bringing in controls on imports from the EU for the first time and using Brexit freedoms to simplify import controls on goods from across the globe”.
The Cabinet Office has estimated that a lighter-touch border regime than originally envisaged, without the requirement for certificates or physical checks on low-risk goods entering the country, would “save businesses about £520m a year”, compared with the original import model that would have been introduced in 2022.
Lucy Neville-Rolfe, a minister of state in the Cabinet Office, said: “By making maximum use of data and new technologies, our innovative yet risk-based approach is key to delivering a world-class border system.”
Lady Neville-Rolfe added that the government stood ready to “support businesses through this transition”.
All consignments of fresh food and other items including plants and animal feed that enter Britain through the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel and are eligible for sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks will have to pay a “common user charge” – estimated at between £20 and £43 – whether they are selected for inspection or not.
However, the final rates are yet to be determined, according to the border document released on Tuesday, creating continuing uncertainty for importers.
The government has previously said the charge is needed to “recover operating costs” of carrying out physical inspections on goods at border control posts. It added that further information about the charging arrangements at inland border control posts would be published in the autumn.
Business groups said they broadly welcomed the “clarity” provided by the government on its plans for a digital trade system, but warned the timings must not slip again.
“The critical thing is preparedness. Businesses are making investment and supply chain decisions for the long term and need to be confident that the physical and digital infrastructure around the GB border is going to be in place on time,” said William Bain, the head of trade policy at the British Chambers of Commerce.
Nigel Jenney, the chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, an industry body that represents the UK’s fresh produce supply chain, said he believed the government had acted upon his members’ concerns.
The border strategy will “reinforce UK biosecurity and promote self-regulation to minimise supply chain disruption”, he said, while adding: “Let’s be clear, challenges remain.”
