TALK about twisting a knife in an open wound! Well that’s exactly what the UK Government is doing to UK food exporters by deciding to grant EU imports a free ride into the UK for a further 6-12 months.
Checks on imports were due to be introduced in stages from April 1 and from July 1, but the Government is now having to U-turn on its post-Brexit policy due to a lack of infrastructure at UK ports.
Quite rightly, there had been concerns that delays at the ports could lead to empty supermarket shelves which would impact on consumers. Many businesses here that rely on imports from the EU are breathing a sigh of relief, but it doesn’t offer much consolation for UK food exporters who have had to grapple with untested systems since January 1.