New customs rules came into force on New Year's Day for UK businesses trading with the EU as post-Brexit changes continue to be phased in.
From 1 January 2022, UK businesses will need to complete customs declarations and checks for EU products to pass over the border, except for goods from the island of Ireland.
UK exporters must also hold declarations from their own suppliers about the origin of their goods if they cannot issue a ‘statement of origin' based on the production or manufacturing criteria for their work.
Pre-notification requirements of all sanitary and phytosanitary goods from the EU are now also needed, except for those imported from Ireland.
Speaking to PA News, Richard Harrow, chief executive of the British Frozen Food Federation said he was "concerned" January could be a tough month for retailers because of the rules.
He added:
"While the new UK rules will be introduced in stages, we are concerned that not enough planning has been done to ensure the new requirements are understood by everyone in the food supply chain."
From July 2022, checks and certification rules on animal and plant products will become stricter, while the same certification and inspections will be required for dairy products from September 2022.
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