Livestock Hauliers must comply with new rules, says government
Exporters say pigmeat consignments are facing lengthy delays at Calais
Brexit puts pork sector at risk of standstill • Export delays hit cull sow trade • Red tape and inspections blamed • Minister warns of worse to come
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ed tape and paperwork are hampering pork exports to the European Union – bringing parts of the industry to a standstill and risking knock-on effects on farms. The National Pig Association said excessive bureaucracy associated with new paperwork requirements were causing delays at Dover, Calais and other ports. With pork being a perishable product, these delays were making UK shipments unattractive to buyers, it warned. Despite the Brexit trade deal agreed between the EU and UK just before Christmas, the NPA said the full overall impact of the new rules was yet to be felt. But export volumes were lower than normal for the time of year and the pig sector was already feeling the effect. One load of pigmeat was caught at Calais for 20 hours undergoing vet checks and then rejected upon finally reaching its destination in Germany because of the delay. In some cases future orders have been cancelled.
Major delays Additional paperwork is causing ma-
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It is having a big impact on the pig sector
Some shipments have already been rejected, says Zoe Davies
jor delays. One processor said each Export Health Certificate (EHC) needed 12 stamps for the English, Dutch and French versions required in duplicate when sending product to the Netherlands, with a 15-tonne load stamped 72 times. New rules requiring inspectors to check labels on each box in a consignment of pork products means that the whole pallet has to be offloaded and broken apart to check the boxes in the middle, adding more time to the process. NPA chief executive Zoe Davies said: “We are seeing a bureaucracy overload and it is already having a big impact on the pig sector. This is partly an inevitable consequence of Brexit – we always knew it would mean more red tape, checks and delays. “But there is a political element, too. Why are 30% of all UK consignments to the EU are being checked? This is far more than many other third country exporters to the EU – for New Zealand, for example, the figure is 1%.”
Knock-on effects Dr Davies said that the delays were forcing processors to cancel some shipments, with the cull sow trade particularly badly hit. Processors were wary of sending shipments out in case they were rejected due to deterioration of product following severe delays.
Agri-food exporters and hauliers are being urged to ensure they meet necessary requirements before taking shipments of perishable goods to the border. Exporters must provide the right documentation to hauliers, including export declarations and the extra certificates needed for products like plant and animal products, it says. Hauliers heading to Kent must also get a negative Covid test and obtain a Kent Access Permit. Failure to do so risks facing a fine and being turned away. But the government says compliance has also been relatively high so far. It says good compliance and low border traffic has kept disruption at the border to a minimum. Even so, the volume of HGV traffic has steadily increased since Christmas and the New Year, reaching near normal levels. By the fourth week of January, some 40,000 trucks were said to be heading to France each week.
New rules Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove said there could be significant disruption if traders and hauliers failed to comply with the new rules. Exporters must provide the right documentation to hauliers – including export declarations and extra certificates for animal products. “We have always been clear there would be changes now that we are out of the customs union and single market, so full compliance with the new rules is vital to avoid disruption, and the best way to ensure readiness is to follow the guidance on gov.uk and use the ‘Check an HGV’ service.” The British Meat Processors Association said it was receiving a growing number of calls from meat companies highlighting the plethora of border problems. Red tape was causing a serious and sustained loss of trade with the EU, it warned.
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