UK border checks on EU imports delayed until October 1

The immediate implementation of checks and paperwork on goods exported from the UK to Europe delayed the arrival of some products, increased costs and made some small sellers less competitive.

So, the UK announced that it would postpone plans for a series of border checks on goods imported from the EU by six months to give sellers more time to prepare .

It is reported that the UK's inspection of EU imported food has been delayed from April 1 to October 1. From October 1, goods imported from the EU will also begin border inspections.

Food producers are required to provide specific customs documentation and a certificate signed by a veterinarian to move "products of animal origin" into the UK after April 1. Full inspection processes for some other imported products will not come into effect until January 2022 .

"We are now introducing border controls six months later than originally planned to give traders time to get back on their feet," David Frost, the U.K. secretary of state for relations with the European Union, said in a statement .

Cabinet minister Michael Gove also said: "While we recognise that many people and many businesses in the border sector have been investing time and effort to be ready on time, and indeed we in government do feel confident that we will be ready on time, we have listened to businesses who have made good arguments that they need more time to prepare".

The Irish Exporters Association ( IEA) said : "We have been preparing for the phased -in of UK import controls on April 1 and July 1 , and while more time to prepare will be a relief to many Irish businesses, there is considerable uncertainty about the broad extension of the deadline . "

Meanwhile, Charlie McConalogue, the secretary of state for agriculture, food and the marine, said the plan simply meant that UK import checks originally scheduled for April 1 and July 1 were being postponed, not cancelled , and retailers should not take it lightly .

Therefore, sellers concerned should make the most of the extra time to fully prepare for the next phase of Brexit .

U.K.

European Union

Import inspection