The EU and UK have agreed to negotiate a veterinary agreement which will remove the need for export health certificates and most port inspections. There is no timeline for when this will come into effect but when it does, it will reverse most of the port inspections and requirement for veterinary certificates.

These were required after the UK left the single market and apply to all goods that have animal or plant origin. Their introduction is thought to have added up to 5% in costs for UK companies exporting to the EU and Irish exporters to the UK have had to comply with the same rules. If an agreement is concluded, it would also eliminate most if not all of the checks that are required by the Windsor Framework that governs trade on goods entering Northern Ireland from Britain.

This has been politically sensitive and cumbersome for traders.

A major issue for Northern Irish farmers has been access to veterinary medicines sourced in the UK.

A grace period has been allowed to the end of this year, but there was no mention of making this permanent in the framework for the deal.