Export of animal and plant goods from the EU to the UK: what will change as of 1 April?

New update: The British government has now announced that these new import rules and border controls will be postponed from 1 April to 1 October and 1 January.

So far, there has been no response from the EU. We will follow everything closely and keep you posted.

On 1 April, the first phase of Brexit will end, and this will result in some important changes regarding the import and export of plant and animal products.

At present, it is possible to export certain products of animal origin, regulated plants and products of plant origin without a certificate. This will change as of 1 April.

What does this mean for your company?

Depending on the type of goods you export, they will have to comply with the (phyto)sanitary requirements provided by the FASFC. Your goods may also be subject to export checks. We explain this with an example:

A pear producer in Belgium has weekly shipments to various recipients in the UK. Until now, this transitioned without problems. From 1 April, a phytosanitary certificate, approved by the FASFC, will have to be issued for each consignment. An export check may be linked to this. In the UK, a phytosanitary import certificate must also be drawn up, which, again, is linked to a possible import check by the authorised bodies.

Please note that these formalities must be completed before the export can proceed. Therefore, this must always be done at the loading place.

These additional requirements inevitably mean extra time, work and expenses. The message is to prepare thoroughly in order to avoid any unpleasant surprises. At DKM, we are ready to support you in this and to prevent blocked shipments, unforeseen costs and fines.

 

Would you like more information about this?
http://www.afsca.be/professionelen/publicaties/mededelingen/2021-03-09.asp