London, UK: Government plans to require UK food importers to make import declarations from 1 April have been delayed to 1 October with physical checks to food imports delayed until 1 January 2022.
This decision will mean that business across the supply chain servicing UK retailers and hospitality will avoid the potential disruption and uncertainty of ‘friction’ at the UK border as it enters a crucial period of post-covid lockdown recovery, the Cold Chain Federation says.
It has welcomed the governments decision to delay. Shane Brennan, chief executive, Cold Chain Federation said: “Businesses across the food supply chain will breathe a sigh of relief that the looming prospect of additional red tape and uncertainty has been delayed past the crucial spring and summer months.
“Ensuring shops, restaurants and cafes have the supplies they need will be a vital part of helping them respond to unpredictable customer demand and this decision will help ensure supply chains are more resilient and responsive to their needs.
“It is also fair to say that this decision was necessary because we did not have confidence that the systems and infrastructure needed to meet the 1 April and 1 July deadlines are on course to be ready. We hope and expect that the additional time will be well used to finish the border inspection posts, employ and train the necessary people to run them and work with industry to ensure readiness is high,” Brennan said,
“In amidst this positive news we should also pause to think about the ongoing unfairness that will be experienced by UK to EU food exporters, who will continue to face a hard border with all its costs and uncertainties and see their equivalents continuing to benefit from de facto unfettered access to their domestic market. It is not clear how this action will give the EU an incentive to be more willing to discuss ways to reduce the burdens on UK exporters.”
Logistics UK also welcomed the move. Sarah Laouadi, European policy manager said the delay will ease the administrative burden on logistics organisations working with Covid-19 lockdowns.
“It is imperative that governments and industry now work hand in hand to make the best possible use of this extra time, to raise the level of readiness for checks both in the UK and in the EU. In particular, Logistics UK is pushing the UK government for a much bigger focus on end-to-end provision of guidance to ease the import process and enhanced engagement with traders, but also hauliers, on both sides of the UK’s border,” she said.
The government said a delay was in the national interest. “We will now introduce border controls broadly six months later than planned to give traders time to focus on getting back on their feet as the economy opens up after a difficult year,” Cabinet Office minister David Frost said in a statement.
Robert Keen, director general of the British International Freight Association (BIFA) said: “The experience of our members since January 1st 2021 has clearly shown that large sectors of the trading community have not been prepared for the changes in processes brought in by phase one of the Border Operating Model.
“One of the most significant unresolved problems to date relates to Delayed Declarations, something that BIFA has repeatedly warned is a regime that invites non-compliance. Extending the option to use the deferred declaration scheme, including submitting supplementary declarations up to six months after the goods have been imported, to January 1st 2022, just adds to the real danger of non-compliance,” Keen said.
“The news that government will continue to engage extensively with businesses to support them to adjust to the new requirements already in place and to prepare for the new requirements to come is also welcome. But, actions speak louder than words, and of late, other than departments that BIFA deals with on mainly operational matters, Government has not been talking to trade and we are not aware of any recent meetings of the Border Protocol Delivery Group.
“Today’s announcement is clear evidence that political decisions have been made previously that, as we have repeatedly stated, have paid no regard to how visible international trade and the frontier works and what can actually be controlled.
“It is also proof that the uncertainty caused is of no use to anyone involved in managing the UK’s visible international trade.
“It was no surprise to hear that Government was considering the unilateral application of grace periods by the UK on EU to GB trade, so today’s announcement is welcome, but equally, not surprising,” Keen said.
