Low impact doesn't mean no impact
This column was originally published in Meat Management in March 2022
January 1st saw change for meat imports from the EU to GB on both the customs and SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) front, except for on goods imported from the Island of Ireland. From a customs standpoint it was the end of delayed customs declarations, leaving full customs declarations as the only option for declaring goods for import. Depending on the port, companies either needed to deal with traditional style customs declarations or grapple with the new GVMS (Goods Vehicle Movement System) declarations which had been specially introduced to deal with RoRo (Roll on Roll off) movements.
On the SPS side of things there was only the introduction of a simplified pre-notification in IPAFFS to contend with. Though there were initially a few issues with how the IPAFFS prenotification number interacted with the customs computer system CHIEF these issues were resolved swiftly by HMRC and Defra. Based on feedback from members, on the whole things have been ok with the Jan 1st changes so far.
That said, adapting to changes smoothly doesn’t mean there was no impact on businesses. With any additional border requirements that means added costs in the supply chain and changes to how business operate in order to meet new demands. We are gathering data from members on the extent of this but it might be a little early to say.
There was a welcome change as of 1st of January which hasn’t had too much attention; that is the removal of the requirement to undertake Intrastat declarations for imports from the EU (this still applies for NI-EU movements though). We are hopeful that with all the talk from government of having the best border in the world by 2025 and development of The Single Trade Window that we can see much more streamlined border data requirements in future and further removal of duplicative processes. However, the consultation on The Single Trade Window is one of what seems an infinite carousel of consultations on at the moment.
It is looking ahead to July 1st where our main concerns now lie. That is when the most significant change comes for meat importers from the EU, with the introduction of veterinary certification, full prenotifications (CHED) rather than the simplified prenotification and veterinary checks at Border Control Posts (BCPs). We have been eagerly awaiting detail on BCP (Border Control Post) locations, product designations and operating hours which will be crucial for businesses planning how July 1st will impact their supply chains as these are where the veterinary checks take place (perhaps at the time this goes to print we will know…).
We have extensive years of experience as an association in dealing with import certification, it came in useful for Jan 1st 2021 when certification was required for our exporters to the EU and no doubt it will come in useful again in reverse in July. We will be assisting members to prepare for the July changes with dedicated resources and briefing sessions in the coming months. Imports are critical for our food supply and it will be essential that sufficient trials are conducted ahead of July, a message which we have been relaying to Defra and HMRC for some time.