London, UK: The Food & Drink Federation has warned that 71% of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs), who tend to import via mixed consignments, are unaware of the fees associated with the new Common User charges, introduced at the end of April this year.
The FDF made the comments in its latest State of Industry report for Q2 2024.
The previous government imposed the charges which relate to all eligible imports entering the UK through the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel. This is a flat fee designed to fund government operations at these locations. However, these charges will be collected in arrears with the first invoices issued this month (August).
“There is no way to track charges incurred on a rolling basis in real time, making it difficult for businesses to budget for these expenses,” said the report. “SMEs will be particularly impacted, with 71% unaware of the fees. Overall, 57% of respondents were unsure of the charges.”
The report pointed out that the food and drink trade has been declining recently, both in value and volume terms, “with these regulatory obstacles contributing to the drop”.
