Boris Johnson has almost confirmed that controls on imports of goods from Europe through Brexit, due to take effect in July, will be postponed for the fourth time.
Experts have warned of a “collapse” in trade if the inspections are implemented on July 1 at a time of rapidly rising prices and falling consumer confidence.
Mr Johnson has now sent a strong signal that he will postpone the introduction of “sanitary and phytosanitary” inspections on imports of agricultural food and plant products, saying he wants “minimal friction” at the UK’s borders with the EU.
The Prime Minister seems to suggest that he believes that inspections can be postponed indefinitely until long-promised technological solutions are found.
While the EU was able to implement checks on UK exports from the 27 blocs as soon as Brexit went into effect last January, Britain provided a “grace period” for imports from the continent, which was repeatedly extended.
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Boris Johnson spoke to the media during his flight to India
(PA conductor)
The agreement automatically gives EU companies exporting to the UK a competitive advantage over their UK counterparts trying to sell goods in the other direction.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, Minister for Brexit Opportunities, has called for the inspections to be dropped altogether and Mr Johnson will be asked to decide on the next steps.
Amid warnings that the change would add approximately £ 1 billion to the cost of trade, Mr Johnson was asked if he was ready to order an additional postponement.
He told reporters during a visit to India: “I am generally in favor of minimal friction at all points between the United Kingdom and the EU. The new technology will make some of the inspections we have obsolete.
“This leads me to a long-term solution on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic, but that’s another matter.
Cold Chain Federation chief executive Shane Brennan told The Independent earlier this month that the checks would be a “nightmare” for small businesses, warning of a potential “collapse” in their trade if they continue over the summer.
Brennan said the Brexit bureaucracy already imposed on small businesses trying to export has already led to a “dramatic drop in the number of goods actually trying to leave the country”.
“Full SPS control over our meat and dairy products is a nightmare when moving goods across the food trade border because they require a veterinary certificate… they require a potential check on arrival at the port of entry,” he said.
Add Comment