OTHER COSTS AND PAPERWORK

Live animals, plants, food and agricultural products now require export licences for the EU while businesses must make customs declarations and require an Economic Operators Registration and Identification (EORI) number. Another cost is the £500 to get the new ‘UKCA’ safety marks, which duplicate the EU’s existing health or environmental CE mark.

Ian Wright of the Food and Drink Federation estimates that average costs of paperwork and transport will rise by 8% for food and drink. “Hauliers are increasing their charges. Those costs will come out somewhere in the system,” he says.

Many businesses will choose to hire a freight forwarder or customs agent to deal with customs declarations. James Sibley says transition vouchers are required to help small businesses pay for this support.

Because Northern Ireland effectively remains part of the EU’s customs union, many of the forms needed to send goods to Europe now apply for crossing the Irish Sea, affecting food exports to the province.