The United Kingdom is delaying some post-Brexit checks on imports from the European Union until the end of 2023, citing the economic consequences of the war in Ukraine.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s office said Thursday that his country is working on a “new model” that will help ease the burden on British businesses and will be released later this year.
“Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, and the recent rise in global energy costs, have had a significant effect on supply chains that are still recovering from the pandemic,” the British government said, according to the Associated Press, adding that the checks would further hinder businesses in the U.K.
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The checks, which were expected to start July 1, included a ban on EU sausages and chilled meats and a physical check on fresh food. The measures under the trade rules following the U.K.’s divorce from the EU also included sanitary and phytosanitary checks at the border and requirements for safety and security declarations on imports, according to Reuters. British importers would be spared at least £1 billion a year in annual costs, the government said.
A shortage of workers in the trucking industry has also contributed to supply chain problems, leading to fast food restaurants running out of chicken, empty shelves at supermarkets, and pubs running out of some alcoholic beverages.
This is the fourth time Britain has postponed the checks, which were agreed upon as part of the post-Brexit trading rules. Imports from the EU were supposed to be subject to the same checks as the rest of the world, according to the rules.
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The U.K. and EU have been arguing over new arrangements since the country announced it was leaving the union in 2016. The EU included separate rules for Northern Ireland in its departure from the union that have been a focal point in the post-Brexit trade talks.
The British government accused the EU of being “purist” when it comes to the rules for Northern Ireland, while the EU has accused Johnson of failing to honor the legally binding post-Brexit agreement. Britain’s minister of state for Europe, James Cleverly, said the country and the EU are at an impasse over the rules for Northern Ireland.
