UK DELAYS INTRODUCTION OF CUSTOMS CHECKS ON EU IMPORTS, DUE TO SUPPLY CHAIN CONCERNS

Tue 14 September 2021:

The UK stated on Tuesday that customs checks on goods entering the country from the EU will be delayed until mid-2022, citing supply chain concerns.

Britain’s Cabinet office said in a statement that the “revised timetable will give businesses more time to adjust to new processes”.

It now intends to implement complete customs declarations and restrictions by January 1, 2022, two months later than originally planned, with safety and security declarations not being required until July 1 of the following year. They were supposed to go into effect at the beginning of the year.

“We want businesses to focus on their recovery from the pandemic rather than have to deal with new requirements at the border, which is why we’ve set out a pragmatic new timetable for introducing full border controls,” Cabinet Office Minister Lord David Frost said.

The pandemic has impacted supply chains in the UK and across Europe, according to the government, with the agri-food sector being particularly hard struck.

According to Lord Frost, “the government remains on track to deliver the new systems, infrastructure and resourcing required” to carry out the controls.

The UK’s departure from the bloc, which was completed on January 1, wasn’t without its issues.

Long lines of lorries formed at the border in both France and the United Kingdom, awaiting clearance. The delays were particularly harmful to fresh produce, resulting in many grocery shelves in the United Kingdom being empty.

The situation was exacerbated by a shortage of labor in the UK caused by the exodus of EU citizens and COVID-related travel restrictions during the epidemic, when global supply chains were affected by lockdowns.

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