The British Irish Chamber of Commerce has welcomed the announcement by the British Government that it will delay the introduction of import controls for EU goods entering Britain.

Paul Lynam (director of policy) said: “Today’s announcement by the UK Government that it will delay the introduction of import controls for EU goods entering Great Britain is a welcome one.

He described the approach as a pragmatic” one, which was necessary so that the government could make “the necessary preparations for full customs controls to ensure an orderly transition that does not unduly disrupt trade”.

Additional time

He added that the extension would allow businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea additional time to get ready for the new import restrictions and the administrative barriers that would soon come into force.

“The British Irish Chamber of Commerce encourages firms within the agri-food sector to use this extended grace period to prepare,” he said. “New import controls on agri-food products will now enter force from 1 January, with physical checks on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) goods at border-control posts due to occur from July 2022”.

The chamber is urging the European Commission and British Government to use the additional time to streamline customs processes to ensure greater efficiency in trade.

They say that there needs to be a particular focus now on the need to reduce the pre-notification time period, and an urgent need to introduce electronic ‘Export Health Certificates’.