New customs rules came into force on New Year’s Day for UK businesses trading with the EU as post-Brexit changes continue to be phased in, with major impacts on many of our national, regional and local businesses.

From 1 January 2022, UK businesses will need to complete customs declarations and checks for EU products to pass over the border, except for goods from the island of Ireland.

UK exporters must also hold declarations from their own suppliers about the origin of their goods if they cannot issue a ‘statement of origin’ based on the production or manufacturing criteria for their work.

Pre-notification requirements of all sanitary and phytosanitary goods from the EU are now also needed, except for those imported from Ireland.

Afford Bond Director, Lindsay Beeston, commented: “There is already concern that January could be a tough month for retailers because of the rules – not least in the agricultural community. While the new UK rules will be introduced in stages, many experts are concerned that not enough planning has been done to ensure the new requirements are understood by everyone in the food supply chain and we have already seen shortages on the shelves in several areas.”

From July 2022, checks and certification rules on animal and plant products will become stricter, while the same certification and inspections will be required for dairy products from September 2022.

Talk to us for help with your new trading obligations – contact Lindsay.Beeston@affordbond.com or use the Contact Us form on our website at www.affordbond.com