Border checks on food and plant imports from the European Union are set to increase costs for businesses in the UK, industry figures have warned. The new border regime, introduced almost eight years after the Brexit vote, will require physical inspections of European imports considered a “medium risk” to UK biosecurity.
Plant and animal inspectors will now examine imported goods such as fresh meat, fish, and dairy produce, a process that importers fear will disrupt supply chains, especially for time-sensitive fresh goods. These physical checks come three months after the introduction of new documentation requirements for imports, including health certificates signed off by vets and plant inspectors.
The government estimates that these new checks will add over £330 million to annual business costs and increase food inflation by 0.2% over three years. However, industry experts believe the actual cost will be much higher, potentially reaching billions of pounds.
Smaller independent food importers are particularly concerned about the impact of these new regulations, as they lack the resources to mitigate costs or establish European subsidiaries to handle the process. Some fear that the new red tape will discourage small suppliers from doing business with the UK, ultimately reducing choice for consumers.
European importers argue that the health checks are redundant, as they replicate existing EU processes that the UK helped create and have been following for the past eight years without issue. They question why the UK government did not implement a solution similar to agreements with Japan or South Korea, where officials conduct inspections and grant permission for imports based on compliance with regulations.
Cabinet Office minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe defended the new checks, stating that they are necessary to improve the UK’s biosecurity and protect against diseases that could harm the economy and farming industry. Despite the government’s assurances, the industry remains concerned about the significant impact these border checks will have on the cost of doing business with the EU.