Fears raised over ‘sting in tail’ post-Brexit border cost for meals – report

Jun 17, 2023 at 6:38 PM

oncerns have reportedly been raised {that a} post-Brexit border cost proposed by the Government for EU meals imports will filter by way of to customers.

The deliberate coverage – outlined in a Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) session paper – would see companies pay a flat-rate inspection price of as much as £43 per consignment.

Shane Brennan, director of the Cold Chain Federation, informed The Observer that the proposal can be “the sting in the tail” of the post-Brexit meals inspection regime and it could be “unavoidable” that the price would hit UK customers too.

“This Government tax for importing food goods from Europe comes on top of the costs of vets’ and customs agents’ fees, as well as increased supply chain costs, all arising from the post-Brexit realities of trying to service the UK,” he stated.

“Forty-three pounds doesn’t sound like a lot but, given that we import thousands of consignments of food goods through Dover every day, it amounts to a border tax costing the industry millions. It is unavoidable that these costs will filter through to consumers.”

Industry sources expressed issues to the paper for smaller British retailers corresponding to delis which import a number of small orders of particular objects from the EU corresponding to Parma ham, French cheeses or Belgian candies.