The United Kingdom is set to enforce the delayed third phase of its post-Brexit border regulations on Friday, nearly four years after exiting the European Union's single market and nine years
after voting to leave the bloc.
The complexity of restructuring supply chains and establishing customs controls meant that Britain only began implementing new border rules last year. The first phase, introduced in January 2023, required additional certification for certain goods, while the second phase, rolled out in April, brought physical checks at ports for products such as meat, fish, cheese, eggs, dairy products, and some flowers. It also introduced new charges on certain imports.
The third phase, originally scheduled for October 31, 2023, will now take effect, requiring businesses transporting goods from the EU to Britain to comply with new UK safety and security declaration requirements. These declarations involve providing detailed information about the shipped products.
According to HM Revenue and Customs, collecting this data will allow for "more intelligent risking of goods," ensuring that legitimate shipments are less likely to face delays while helping prevent the entry of illegal or dangerous items. However, businesses have been warned that failing to submit declarations before reaching the UK border could lead to unnecessary checks and potential penalties.
While major retailers and large exporters have the resources to adapt, smaller businesses have expressed concerns over the administrative burden.
Plans to expand physical checks to fruit and vegetable imports have faced multiple delays, with the latest postponement pushing implementation to July 1, 2024.
Meanwhile, Finance Minister Rachel Reeves signaled openness to exploring a proposal by European Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic for Britain to join a pan-European customs scheme. However, she clarified that this initiative is distinct from the EU’s full customs union, which the Labour government has ruled out rejoining. Photo by dannyman, Wikimedia commons.