The British meat processors association (BMPA), which represents meat factories in Britain, has called the current procedure for exports from Britain to the EU as a “relic from the last century and not fit for purpose”.

This comes as the association reported that a member had six loads delayed at the ports, with one being returned after sitting for five days.

Such delays devalue a perishable product, with shelf life a key part of the product’s value.

Antiquated system

In December, BMPA CEO Nick Allen told the Irish Farmers Journal of the association’s concerns about being able to access veterinary cover to enable trade take place on goods of animal origin after 1 January.

Speaking to the Irish Farmers Journal again on Monday afternoon, he said that problem hadn’t materialised yet because volumes of trade have been a fraction of normal.

He said the problem currently is an antiquated paper-based system that simply wasn’t designed for modern supply chains of order today and receive delivery tomorrow.

Not fit for purpose

It is no longer fit for purpose and the EU and UK need to design a modern integrated digital system that can use technology to mitigate the red tape introduced when the UK departed from the EU single market and customs union.

Allen said he accepted that larger companies are better prepared for this new bureaucracy but that they too were experiencing problems as the system struggled to process applications.

It also looks like groupage, where a truck has multiple deliveries of smaller consignments, may no longer be practical. This is because every single consignment needs a health certificate and customs declaration and while it will have more of an effect on small exporters, large exporters have also used groupage.

This frustration has led to members already being told by their EU customers that they’ll be looking to Spain and Ireland to buy product from now on.

Irish exports to Britain

Allen pointed out that the EU and UK need a digital solution to enable trade flow more freely but accepts this may be some way off.

It isn’t particularly an issue for Irish exporters to Britain yet as they are phasing in border controls, with health certificates required from 1 April and inspections to take effect from the end of June.

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