New timetable for import controls

There are special procedures for importing goods into the UK. Following the end of the Brexit transition period on 31 December 2020, the process for importing goods from the EU effectively mirrors the process for all other international destinations.

On 14 September 2021, a revised timetable for the introduction of full import controls was published by government.

A number of easements had been put in place to help ensure a smooth transition for goods coming from the EU. This included a delay in the requirement for full customs declarations and controls until 1 January 2022. The timetable for this change remains as previously set out. However, safety and security declarations will now not be required until 1 July 2022.

Under the revised timetable:

• The requirements for pre-notification of Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) goods, which were due to be introduced on 1 October 2021, will now be introduced on 1 January 2022.
• The new requirements for Export Health Certificates, which were due to be introduced on 1 October 2021, will now be introduced on 1 July 2022.
• Phytosanitary Certificates and physical checks on SPS goods at Border Control Posts, due to be introduced on 1 January 2022, will now be introduced on 1 July 2022.
• Safety and Security declarations on imports will be required as of 1 July 2022 as opposed to 1 January 2022. Full customs declarations and controls will be introduced on 1 January 2022 as previously announced.

It is hoped that this revised timetable will give businesses, especially those in the agri-food sector, more time to adjust for issues caused by Brexit and the global pandemic.