Britain delays post-Brexit border checks until 2024

Britain delays post-Brexit border checks until 2024

The UK has repeatedly delayed implementing post-Brexit border checks on food and animal products from the EU
The UK has repeatedly delayed implementing post-Brexit border checks on food and animal products from the EU. Photo: JUSTIN TALLIS / AFP
Source: AFP

Don't miss out! Get your daily dose of sports news straight to your phone. Join YEN's Sports News channel on WhatsApp now!

The British government said Tuesday it will delay introducing post-Brexit border controls on food and fresh produce from the European Union, postponing the start date to January 2024.

The UK had delayed implementing the checks several times since leaving the EU's customs union and single market in January 2021, but British exports have faced controls for products heading in the opposite direction.

The UK was planning to finally roll out its new import controls in phases over 12 months from October 31 this year.

"Having listened to the views of industry, the government has agreed to a delay of three months for the introduction of remaining sanitary and phytosanitary controls, as well as full customs controls for non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods," the government said.

It added that further controls for EU imports will also have a revised timetable "to give stakeholders additional time to prepare for the new checks".

Read also

Microsoft's Bing, LinkedIn vows more ads transparency

This includes physical checks and safety declarations, which will be introduced in stages throughout 2024.

The Financial Times reported last week that the UK's finance minister Jeremy Hunt backed another delay to the border checks amid fears it would push up food prices during a cost-of-living crisis.

UK inflation, currently running at 6.8 percent, is the highest among G7 nations.

The UK left the European Union on January 31, 2020, after a referendum in favour of Brexit in 2016.

British exporters say EU controls have caused long delays at Channel ports, extra bureaucracy and cost, putting them at a commercial disadvantage with importers from the bloc.

Opponents say Brexit has erected barriers to trade with the UK's biggest overseas market for goods and services, pushing up the price of food and cutting exports.

New feature: Сheck out news that is picked for YOU ➡️ click on “Recommended for you” and enjoy!

Source: AFP

Authors:
AFP avatar

AFP AFP text, photo, graphic, audio or video material shall not be published, broadcast, rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium. AFP news material may not be stored in whole or in part in a computer or otherwise except for personal and non-commercial use. AFP will not be held liable for any delays, inaccuracies, errors or omissions in any AFP news material or in transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages whatsoever. As a newswire service, AFP does not obtain releases from subjects, individuals, groups or entities contained in its photographs, videos, graphics or quoted in its texts. Further, no clearance is obtained from the owners of any trademarks or copyrighted materials whose marks and materials are included in AFP material. Therefore you will be solely responsible for obtaining any and all necessary releases from whatever individuals and/or entities necessary for any uses of AFP material.