Border checks on food and plant imports will add billions of pounds to the cost of doing business with the European Union, industry figures have warned.
From Tuesday European imports considered a “medium risk” to UK biosecurity will face physical inspection as part of a new border regime introduced almost eight years after the Brexit vote, and delayed five times in two years.
Plant and animal inspectors will examine a proportion of imported goods including fresh meat, fish, and dairy produce, a process that importers fear will disrupt supply chains, particularly for time-critical fresh goods.
The physical checks come three months after the introduction of new documentation for imports, including health certificates that require vets and plant inspectors to sign off consignments.
With importers also facing a charge for each consignment that comes into the UK irrespective of…
