The UK government has reportedly told port health authorities that health safety checks on goods imported from the EU will not be turned on as new post-Brexit border controls begin this month.
A presentation prepared by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) highlighted the risk of “significant disruption” if the new measures were implemented, according to the Financial Times. It was clear that the system would not be fully ready on time.
In a move to avoid significant delays, the government said it would ensure that the tax rate on checks is initially “set at zero for all product groups”.
Border controls have already been postponed five times over concerns they could cause chaos and further fuel price hikes.
In its presentation, Defra acknowledged to port health authorities that “challenges” remained within the food and animal product import registration system.
It has been reported that these challenges could lead to unmanageable levels of inspections that could overwhelm ports.
“If all product codes were turned on at once, there could be significant disruption on day one.”
It was not made clear how long border checks would be suspended, but the presentation was said to show that the system would be “activated in stages” for different product groups.
Business groups have repeatedly called for the introduction of new border checks to be delayed until at least October.
The last major changes are expected to take place in October, when the government will require safety and security declarations for medium- and high-risk imports, as well as introduce a single trade window, which will allow importers to The government says the number of documents required will be reduced.
Currently, physical checks are not required for goods arriving from the island of Ireland, but the Government has announced that physical checks will be introduced at some point after October 31 this year.
A Defra spokesperson said: “As we have always said, products that pose the highest biosecurity risk are prioritized as we build full testing rates and high levels of compliance.
“Taking a pragmatic approach to introducing new border checks will minimize disruption, protect biosecurity and benefit everyone, especially traders.
“Over the past year we have engaged extensively with businesses and our approach has been welcomed by several industry bodies and port authorities.
“We will continue to work with and support businesses through this process to keep imports flowing smoothly.”
