The announcement of further delays to post-Brexit import checks on agri-food products coming from the EU is a bitter blow to Scottish farmers and the nation’s food and drink sector according to NFU Scotland.
While Scottish exporters have been struggling with additional costs and burdens since January 2021, EU competitors have been given extended grace periods by the UK government to maintain access to the UK market without the same level of bureaucracy, delays and costs.
Commenting on the announcement, NFU Scotland chief executive Scott Walker said:
The UK government’s decision to further delay the introduction of border controls on imports from the EU is a bitter blow to Scottish farmers and the Scottish food and drink industry.
“Those in Scotland and the rest of the UK who have been looking to export to the EU in the past nine months have had to endure crippling post-Brexit costs, additional delays and extra bureaucracy, while those in the EU selling goods here have been largely unaffected.
Delayed promises
“Government promises that asymmetric trade would be addressed and a level playing field on costs and paperwork introduced at the start of October have once again been delayed.
“On a day when we are promoting #BackBritishFarmingDay with fellow UK farming unions, the government’s decision to keep kicking the can down the road on this issue is hugely frustrating.
“Changes to import controls from the EU were due in 16 days and will now not come into force until January 2022, with others changes delayed until July 2022.
“Meanwhile, those exporting from the UK to the EU have faced the full cost of controls since January 1, 2021.
That is wholly unacceptable and undermines efforts to rebuild European markets for Scottish produce in the post-Brexit era.
“Ultimately, we need to see a level playing field on trade between the UK and the EU and we need both parliaments to do considerably more to ensure that as much unnecessary bureaucracy and cost is stripped out as possible.”
