Importers of EU food say new UK fees could push costs up by at least 60%

Importers of food from the EU into Britain have said that newly introduced post-Brexit checks could increase their costs by up to 60%, pushing up prices for customers and driving some shops out of business.

- Jack Simpson

After five previous delays, the UK introduced the physical checks on animal and plant products entering from the EU yesterday, having revealed at the start of the month that it would be implementing a common user charge (CUC) of up to £145 for each consignment.

However, importers and haulage firms have criticised the lack of clarity over what was meant by a consignment, with many assuming the cap applied per lorry. In fact, vehicles with a wide variety of products from different locations could be forced to pay many multiples of the charge.

Haulage companies carrying meat and dairy from Poland and other eastern European countries said the new charges mean they would now have to pay hundreds of pounds for each lorry, adding significant costs to their operations.