Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
EMPTY SHELVES ARE IN STORE AFTER BREXIT
Sainsbury’s chief’s supply chain fears post-brexit
SAINSBURY’S chief executive has warned the supply of some fish, dairy and meat products to its stores here could be seriously reduced due to Brexit.
Simon Roberts said: “If we don’t get greater clarity on the Northern Irish situation we will see a restriction on the ranges of products we can sell.
“This is not one or two products in stores I am talking about, it is a substantial number of products and quite key, everyday products too.”
Supermarkets’ supply chains will be hit by Brexit whether there is a free trade deal or not between the EU and the UK because the Northern Ireland protocol kicks in at 11pm on December 31.
Under the deal struck by the Prime Minister, fresh food coming into the region from Great Britain will be subject ed to ch eck s including customs declarations, and health certification protecting the island of Ireland from outbreaks of infections such as salmonella.
Mr Roberts said the industry was pushing for clarity as soon as possible on trading with Northern Ireland post-brexit to prevent shortages in stores there from January. He said the industry had a “productive” meeting with government last week and wanted something akin to “trusted trader status” to help the f low of goods.
He added: “Customers expect to have access to a full range but [it] won’t be possible to make that available unless something changes.”
S ainsbur y ’s has 13 stores in Northern Ireland, and its experience will be mirrored by its rivals Tesco, which has 55 stores in the region, and Asda, which has around 20 shops here. Both hhi chains also source a lot of their products from the mainland UK.
Mr Roberts told the Guardian: “Customers are expecting value for money and continuity of supply. We need clarity from government to help us to be able to do that.”
He said the problems could affect a “substantial number of products” including pro cessed meat, such as mince and sausages, as well as fish and dairy items. Marks and Spencer said on Wednesday its business in Ireland could be affected if no deal was agreed with the EU, and significant tariffs and bureaucratic costs were added to food imports – a development local business leaders have been warning about since January.
It is understood supermarkets are also concerned the EU has yet to grant a third-country listing, which would confirm that the hu UK conforms with EU regulations.
With 55 days to go before the end of the transition period, there are many other outstanding issues affecting food suppliers in Great Britain, including the labelling and rules applying to food with ingredients from outside the EU.
This is not one or two goods it’s a substantial number SIMON ROBERTS YESTERDAY