Increased Import Costs To Lead To Higher Food Prices
Import fees relating to the inspection of animal and plant products may be set to rise by around 27%, which could be phased in from this coming August.
UK food importers argue that the industry cannot absorb these extra costs, which will likely be passed on to shoppers that can ill-afford further increases in food prices.
The UK’s Defra and Animal & Plant Health Agencies are understood to be looking to recover the increasing costs for inspections carried out in the UK, where fees have been frozen since 2019.
Last year, HMRC implemented new processes for animal and food products, in line with their Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) and a new approach to sanitary and phytosanitary controls.
In a recent article in The Loadstar, the UK’s Fresh Produce Consortium commented that the increased fees would not only impact our food imports, from the EU in particular, but also stifle the UK’s ability to grow its own food.
The article went on to explain that many of the young plants and seeds used to grow edible products in the UK originate from Belgium or the Netherlands, which has become expensive and cumbersome due to delays at borders.
The specialist Food Logistics Division at Atlantic Pacific are keeping a close eye on developments.
