Status: 04/28/2022 14:47
The British government wants to again delay the introduction of Brexit controls for EU imports. It’s the fourth time. The backdrop is also high inflation.
Britain has delayed introducing controls on imports of goods from the European Union until the end of next year. Instead, traders can import their products from the European Union to Britain as before. The British government announced today. However, controls on imports of animals, animal products, plants and plant products introduced by the UK in January 2021 will continue to apply, it said.
The UK left the EU’s single market in January 2021. Since then, the implementation of full border controls has been delayed several times over concerns that the new border controls could lead to delivery difficulties and congestion at ports. As the Guardian daily reported today, the fourth round is now apparently due to high inflation.
Inflation should not be fueled anymore
“Today’s decision will allow UK companies to focus on their recovery from the pandemic, managing global supply chain issues and ensuring that new costs are not passed on to consumers,” said responsible minister Jacob Rees-Mogg. . He also referred to the war in Ukraine, which is currently a heavy burden for companies. The government therefore concluded that it does not want to impose new administrative requirements on companies, which they then pass on to consumers.
In March, UK inflation reached 6.2%. In April, energy prices for households at the basic tariff rose by more than 50 percent, and social security contributions also increased significantly.
The government said it will now examine how best to implement the remaining controls to ease the process. A new plan will be published later this year and new control regulations will come into effect at the end of 2023.
Several controls are omitted
Controls not being introduced include sanitary and phytosanitary controls at the border, as well as safety declarations and restrictions on the import of chilled meat. Today’s decision could cost the government up to a billion pounds.
Hilary Benn, co-chair of the UK Trade and Business Commission, said the move was an acknowledgment that customs controls would exacerbate the cost-of-living crisis, while UK exporters still face additional costs and delays from Brexit.
“It is exceptional that UK imports are being favored over UK exports to the EU and this only underlines the trade barriers erected by the fragile Brexit deal,” Benn said.