Shipments of meat will be disrupted next year even with a Brexit trade deal
Come check out our article to see why meat shipments will continue to experience disruptions even after a Brexit trade deal, and how this will affect Britain's meat industry.
Meat imports and exports are facing long-term disruption following Brexit, as complex paperwork and a shortage of veterinarians hinder the smooth flow of meat, both in and out of the country.
New Rules Will Impact UK Meat Importers and Exporters
The new rules overseeing meat shipments between the UK and the European Union (EU) will impact both importers and exporters. Starting from January of this year, meat leaving or arriving in the UK must have certificates signed by veterinarians to confirm that the animals have been examined and meet the health requirements set by the union. In addition, the new rules state that “meat preparations” such as sausages and burgers will no longer be allowed to be exported to the EU unless they are frozen.
Complex Paperwork Threatens Britain's Thriving Meat Industry
There will likely be a “five-fold increase” in the paperwork required to successfully export meat out of the UK, according to the British government. The challenge is that this is all paper-based, and there is currently no advanced system in place to streamline the process. Thus, several meat exporters are already experiencing severe delays due to the increase in paperwork.
Given that exports of British food, feed, and drink were worth £14.2 billion in 2019, and around a third of lamb produced in the EU shipped abroad, mostly to the EU, these disruptions could have a significant negative impact on the UK's meat industry. Moreover, over half of the pig meat consumed in the UK is imported from the union, meaning that companies relying on these imports could also be affected.
Major supermarkets have already felt the impact of the disruptions as well, with Tesco making changes to availability due to challenges in shipping goods from Northern Ireland, which still follows EU single market rules. Companies that rely on meat shipments in and out of the union must also prepare for these changes by staying updated on key industry updates.
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