Latest news with #FreshProduceConsortium
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
UK scraps border checks on EU fruit and vegetable imports
The UK government is to remove border checks for fruit and vegetable imports from the EU ahead of a new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) deal between the two markets. Last month, the UK and the EU signalled plans for a new SPS agreement as part of a broader, new trading relationship. While the details of the SPS agreement are still being negotiated, the UK government said post-Brexit border checks on 'medium-risk' fruit and vegetables – including items such as tomatoes, grapes, plums and peppers – imported from the EU will not be enforced as planned from next month. The easing of checks has now been extended from 1 July 2025 to 31 January 2027. UK trade association Fresh Produce Consortium (FPC) welcomed the move and said it spares the industry from '700,000 consignments annually subject to UK SPS border controls and avoids an eye-watering £200m ($270.2m) in added costs'. The UK said under the prospective SPS deal with the EU eliminating routine checks on food imports and exports is expected to lower costs and ease pressure on food prices. The move forms part of London's efforts to 'cut excessive red tape' and reduce fees for traders engaged in exporting to and importing from the bloc, it added. According to the government, the changes are intended to 'strengthen' supply chains and reduce costs for both businesses and consumers. UK Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said: 'This government's EU deal will make food cheaper, slash bureaucracy and remove cumbersome border controls for businesses.' Traders are required to continue following the UK's Border Target Operating Model (BTOM) until the SPS deal comes into force, the government said, adding that "risk-based surveillance" will continue to handle the biosecurity risks. FPC chief executive Nigel Jenney added: 'This is a unique and sector-specific exemption, and one we've fought long and hard to achieve. 'We're proud to have secured a common-sense solution that protects our diverse and critical industry – from supermarket supply chains to the thousands of SMEs in wholesale and foodservice.' "UK scraps border checks on EU fruit and vegetable imports" was originally created and published by Just Food, a GlobalData owned brand. The information on this site has been included in good faith for general informational purposes only. It is not intended to amount to advice on which you should rely, and we give no representation, warranty or guarantee, whether express or implied as to its accuracy or completeness. You must obtain professional or specialist advice before taking, or refraining from, any action on the basis of the content on our site. Sign in to access your portfolio
Times
25-05-2025
- Business
- Times
UK food producers have wasted millions on delayed post-Brexit checks
British food and flower producers have wasted millions of pounds in preparing for post-Brexit import checks that now may never be introduced, industry leaders have warned. The sector had been working toward a July 2025 deadline for the introduction of full sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls on agri-food imports from the European Union. However, a sudden shift in government policy, tied to the UK-EU 'reset' and new trade talks, means the vast majority of those checks have been delayed. The Fresh Produce Consortium, which represents suppliers of fruit, vegetables and flowers, said the delays undermined business confidence and left companies in limbo. 'The industry cannot prepare because it doesn't have adequate information on time and has no confidence in the UK government because they say one thing and do another,' Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the consortium, said.
Euronews
20-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
UK faces higher fruit and vegetable prices for non-EU goods
A variety of vegetables and fruits imported from outside the EU could become more expensive in the UK, following UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's pledge to align the country with the EU's food and drink import regulations. This could impact fruits such as pineapples, avocados, oranges and mangoes, as well as more regularly used items such as tomatoes. According to the Fresh Produce Consortium, only 5% of fresh food products on average are inspected currently. At the moment, EU import checks are more rigorous than those already in place in the UK. This means that the UK may soon have to deal with more border red tape, which could in turn result in price hikes for these food items. Nigel Jenney, the chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, said, as reported by The Telegraph: 'Whilst we have resolved the EU border position, we have moved the problem and the cost to non-EU goods. What we have saved on one hand, we have lost on the other. 'A lot of that cost or a lot of that burden now appears to have been applied- subject to dynamic alignment- to goods being sourced from the rest of the world.' Less than 5% of citrus fruits coming into the UK are inspected currently, but following this deal, that figure could rise to 100%, increasing costs and delays. The International Trade Centre estimates that nearly one-third of avocados imported into the UK last year originated from Peru, whereas almost 93% of imported pineapples were from Costa Rica. The UK imports around half of its oranges from South Africa or Egypt, whereas around a quarter of tomatoes come from Morocco. The country also imports onions, lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, cauliflowers and broccoli, along with exotic vegetables such as yams, which could also be affected. European fruit and vegetable producers are not yet able to replace these imports at the required scale, which means that UK importers will likely have no option but to cough up the higher costs and deal with the delays involved. Although European farmers could eventually plant more crops, especially for citrus fruits, to meet the higher demand coming from the UK, prices are still likely to increase in the short term. Similarly, worries about delays at ports and longer wait times before products reach shop shelves have been expressed. However, the UK government has emphasised that this deal is expected to help the EU and UK to sidestep inspections for several plant and animal products, which in turn could lower the prices for those food items and provide greater choices to consumers.
Euronews
20-05-2025
- Business
- Euronews
Kazakhstan boosts SME sector to draw EU investment
Kazakhstan is expanding its SME sector with targeted reforms, financing, and state-backed guarantees worth nearly €18 billion by 2027. New incentives support joint ventures, foreign entrepreneurs, and local manufacturing, with over 11,000 SMEs already operating under shared ownership. The DAMU Fund plays a key role, having financed over 1,600 foreign-led projects. European investors are finding opportunity in sectors like agribusiness, logistics, and IT. As Kazakhstan shifts from resource extraction to value-added production, trade offices and legal frameworks are helping European firms enter a transforming market with confidence. A variety of vegetables and fruits imported from outside the EU could become more expensive in the UK, following UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's pledge to align the country with the EU's food and drink import regulations. This could impact fruits such as pineapples, avocados, oranges and mangoes, as well as more regularly used items such as tomatoes. According to the Fresh Produce Consortium, only 5% of fresh food products on average are inspected currently. At the moment, EU import checks are more rigorous than those already in place in the UK. This means that the UK may soon have to deal with more border red tape, which could in turn result in price hikes for these food items. Nigel Jenney, the chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, said, as reported by The Telegraph: 'Whilst we have resolved the EU border position, we have moved the problem and the cost to non-EU goods. What we have saved on one hand, we have lost on the other. 'A lot of that cost or a lot of that burden now appears to have been applied- subject to dynamic alignment- to goods being sourced from the rest of the world.' Less than 5% of citrus fruits coming into the UK are inspected currently, but following this deal, that figure could rise to 100%, increasing costs and delays. The International Trade Centre estimates that nearly one-third of avocados imported into the UK last year originated from Peru, whereas almost 93% of imported pineapples were from Costa Rica. The UK imports around half of its oranges from South Africa or Egypt, whereas around a quarter of tomatoes come from Morocco. The country also imports onions, lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, cauliflowers and broccoli, along with exotic vegetables such as yams, which could also be affected. European fruit and vegetable producers are not yet able to replace these imports at the required scale, which means that UK importers will likely have no option but to cough up the higher costs and deal with the delays involved. Although European farmers could eventually plant more crops, especially for citrus fruits, to meet the higher demand coming from the UK, prices are still likely to increase in the short term. Similarly, worries about delays at ports and longer wait times before products reach shop shelves have been expressed. However, the UK government has emphasised that this deal is expected to help the EU and UK to sidestep inspections for several plant and animal products, which in turn could lower the prices for those food items and provide greater choices to consumers.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
UK faces higher fruit and vegetable prices for non-EU goods
A variety of vegetables and fruits imported from outside the EU could become more expensive in the UK, following UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's pledge to align the country with the EU's food and drink import regulations. This could impact fruits such as pineapples, avocados, oranges and mangoes, as well as more regularly used items such as tomatoes. According to the Fresh Produce Consortium, only 5% of fresh food products on average are inspected currently. At the moment, EU import checks are more rigorous than those already in place in the UK. This means that the UK may soon have to deal with more border red tape, which could in turn result in price hikes for these food items. Nigel Jenney, the chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, said, as reported by The Telegraph: 'Whilst we have resolved the EU border position, we have moved the problem and the cost to non-EU goods. What we have saved on one hand, we have lost on the other. 'A lot of that cost or a lot of that burden now appears to have been applied- subject to dynamic alignment- to goods being sourced from the rest of the world.' Less than 5% of citrus fruits coming into the UK are inspected currently, but following this deal, that figure could rise to 100%, increasing costs and delays. Related Guinness maker Diageo braces for a €133 million US tariff hit Blacklisted in the US, Chinese battery giant raises billions in Hong Kong trading debut The International Trade Centre estimates that nearly one-third of avocados imported into the UK last year originated from Peru, whereas almost 93% of imported pineapples were from Costa Rica. The UK imports around half of its oranges from South Africa or Egypt, whereas around a quarter of tomatoes come from Morocco. The country also imports onions, lettuce, bell peppers, cucumbers, cauliflowers and broccoli, along with exotic vegetables such as yams, which could also be affected. European fruit and vegetable producers are not yet able to replace these imports at the required scale, which means that UK importers will likely have no option but to cough up the higher costs and deal with the delays involved. Although European farmers could eventually plant more crops, especially for citrus fruits, to meet the higher demand coming from the UK, prices are still likely to increase in the short term. Similarly, worries about delays at ports and longer wait times before products reach shop shelves have been expressed. However, the UK government has emphasised that this deal is expected to help the EU and UK to sidestep inspections for several plant and animal products, which in turn could lower the prices for those food items and provide greater choices to consumers.
