Amid delays, moving categories and the end of easements, we invited a panel of experts to share their wisdom on how best to navigate the new and upcoming trading landscape.
Our webinar on Feeding Britain: How to Make New Post-Brexit Import Checks Work, available to watch in full now, explores the ups and downs of the new model, which systems businesses must register with to navigate it effectively and how to avoid delays to shipments.
These are three of our key takeaways:
Impact of border checks
The UK government’s system is actually simpler than the EU’s and it could be seen as more pragmatic, said the FDF’s international trade lead George Hyde. The government has put in place just three (and a half) risk categories for food and drink categories.
These dictate whether items are to be physically inspected by border operatives. Take fish, which will require both certificates and sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks on entry.
“The low risk is the bulk of processed food and drink that comes into the UK, which doesn’t require any checks,” said Hyde.
And how the EU categorises a product’s risk is not necessarily how the government will see it. For example, some of the items classed as medium risk when being exported to the EU are classed as low risk when being imported to the UK.
There’s another risk category often missed when people think of food crossing the border into the UK, said Robert Hardy, CEO of Eori UK. “There are some foods that are no risk at all,” he said. “There’s some that can just flow through completely.”
Logistics partners
Working with good logistics partners can become a saving grace when navigating the ever-changing world of post-Brexit regulations, said Tammy Summers, regulatory and quality affairs manager (UK&I) at FrieslandCampina.
While both suppliers and hauliers are still learning the new system, all parties are right to approach groupage loads with caution, said Andrew Crumpton, founder of AMC Food Consulting.
”You are as good as the least compliant supplier on that load and in many instances there are examples of loads being delayed because one member wasn’t compliant and that affects everyone else.”
When importing ambient or longer shelf life products, securing your own load becomes less of a worry. But with shorter shelf lives, it could result in less profitable half loads, he added.
Easements
Currently, easements are in place for some products, including across the fresh produce category, though this will be coming to an end in summer 2025, says Veryan Bliss, founder of Food Intelligence.
Businesses should be making the most of the time before the regulations come into force to join trade associations on both sides of the Channel to keep fully up to date with changing regulations.
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