Irish meat-processing factories are “prepared and ready” for the new rules which will impact trade with the UK from today (Wednesday, January 31) according to Meat Industry Ireland (MII).
In a statement to Agriland, Director of Meat Industry Ireland (MII), Dale Crammond said: “The meat industry has known about the forthcoming changes to our Great Britain (GB) trading requirements for some time.
“MII members have been working closely with their local veterinary teams over recent weeks, and I have no doubt that everyone is prepared and ready to go.”
The MII director was speaking about the UK’s new Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) which kicks in today, Wednesday, January 31.
According to the Department of Foreign Affairs: “These changes by the UK are a further outworking of Brexit, as the UK gradually moves to enhanced border controls as part of its new BTOM.
The new UK requirements include the pre-lodgement of customs declarations as well as the pre-notification of agri-food exports which must, in some cases, be accompanied by an Export Health Certificate.
These new UK requirements are in addition to the existing formalities that apply when exporting goods from the EU.
Over one third of Irish exports go to the UK and the market remains the largest single destination for Irish food, drink and horticulture exports.
The UK accounts for 47% of Irish beef exports, for example, with an estimated value of €1.3 billion, while dairy exports to the UK were valued at €1.1 billion in 2023.
Speaking about the particular impact for the agri-food sector, Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Charlie McConalogue, said earlier this month: “These new UK import control requirements represent a significant change in the trading environment for Irish agri-food exporters to GB, in what is our largest export market.
“All businesses in the agri-food supply chain to GB must continue to engage with their UK customers, their local supervisory competent authority team and logistics providers to confirm the processes are in place to meet the new UK requirements in the most effective and efficient manner.”
AHDB comment on new rules
According to the UK’s Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB), the BTOM “will seek to mirror the controls the EU implemented immediately following the UK’s departure from the EU on January 1, 2021”.
“From this date, sanitary certificates for meat and dairy and phytosanitary certificates for plant products were required for all UK exports to the EU. Physical inspections were also introduced at EU borders.”
The introduction of health certificates for entry into the UK was originally scheduled for April 2021, with physical checks following in June 2021, but these timelines were quickly revised due to lack of readiness at the border, according to the AHDB.
AHDB has also said: “It is understood that the period from January to April 2024 will be used as a ‘bedding in’ period, with warnings and advice given rather than goods being turned away. However, April will see the introduction of physical checks and a tightening of the rules.
“If the experience of UK exporters after leaving the EU is anything to go by, the introduction of BTOM will see significant disruption, delays and add costs to goods entering the UK.
“In the period following the introduction of the EU rules, trade dropped significantly by more than 40%.
“Even after the initial teething problems of incorrect paperwork, lengthy delays and perishable loads discarded, many smaller UK exporters who were unable to spread the cost of the certification, inspections and delays over an entire shipment stopped exporting altogether.”
The AHDB has said that the measures “are broadly welcomed by UK meat and dairy producers, who feel the playing field is finally being levelled with their EU counterparts”.