UK small businesses counting the cost of new post-Brexit import checks [Video]

Small and specialty businesses in the UK are facing disproportionately higher costs on imports from the EU after new post-Brexit border checks on medium and high-risk food and plants took effect on April 30.

Physical checks on dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables, seeds and flowers will now take place at the UK border. The new checks are the latest phase of the UK’s Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), published in August 2023. These checks had been delayed five times already.

Importers will now pay a fee on each type of product to be checked in a shipment. Mixed loads will become more expensive for small businesses compared to larger supermarkets, which are able to send trucks with a single product.

Andreas Georghiou runs a high-quality grocery shop in central London. He has been a grocer for over 30 years and his wide range of specialty products come from across Europe.

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