UK postpones border controls on EU imports for fourth time

Mon 02/05/2022 by Richard Wilkinson
Asda's produce departement in the UK.

The UK government has announced that it will be once again postponing phytosanitary controls on imports of fresh products from the EU, making this the fourth such delay. Government reports have noted that the UK still lacks the necessary technology and infrastructure to carry out these border controls. In addition, there is fear throughout the entire supply chain due to the war in Ukraine and the general increase in costs, the impact of which is already being felt in trade relations.

So, the controls that were to come into force on July 1, will not be carried out for now, and the signs are that they will be delayed until next year at the earliest. Brexit Minister for Opportunities, Jacob Rees-Mogg, said that imposing the controls at this point “would have been an act of self-harm”, adding that: 

“this decision will allow British businesses to focus on recovering from the pandemic, on redirecting supply chain problems and ensure that new cost overruns are not passed on to consumers. It is vital that we have the appropriate import control regime, so we will work with the industry to review it and that it best suits the interests of the United Kingdom.”

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