Britain delays post-Brexit border checks on EU goods until 2024

Britain has delayed imposing full post-Brexit import controls on goods from the European Union by a further three months – pushing the start date back to January 2024.

Trucks leave Larne Port in Belfast, Northern Ireland, a British territory that is no longer legally part of the EU Customs Union, but remains an entry point into it. AP - Brian Lawless

The move marks the fifth delay on the introduction of checks on food, plant and animal produce arriving in Britain.

In contrast, Brussels immediately introduced checks and paperwork for goods moving from Britain into the EU when Britain left the EU's single market in January 2021.

This lead to delays and higher costs, making it challenging for some businesses to compete.

Reprieve

The British government said it wanted to give British businesses more time to prepare due to worries about disruption at ports and the risk of adding to a cost-of-living crisis.

"Having listened to the views of industry, the government has agreed to a delay of three months for the introduction of remaining sanitary and phytosanitary controls, as well as full customs controls for non-qualifying Northern Ireland goods," it said in a statement.

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New checks on some food and animal products coming from the EU had been due to begin by the end of October.

That will now happen from January, with further checks introduced in two stages throughout 2024.

The government's new Border Target Operating Model, published on Tuesday, would make smarter use of data and technology and remove duplication, reducing the volume of data and paperwork required from businesses when importing goods.

Britain has the highest inflation rate in the G7. There have been fears that new border checks will add to inflation woes by decreasing the supply of goods coming from the EU.