Great Britain Pinches Fresh Produce Imports from European Union

Four years after Britain’s exit from the European Union on May 1, 2024, some restrictive measures came into effect that involve a much longer and more complex bureaucratic process for all categories of fresh food coming from the European Union. Above all, the prices of food imported to the island will rise, and one of the most obvious consequences of Brexit will be that United Kingdom citizens will suffer a four-year delay: this very measure has been postponed several times to avoid price hikes at an already difficult time for the United Kingdom, with inflation exceeding 10 percent during the transition period.

The price rise, estimated at between 0.2% and 0.4%, will be added to the 30% increase that has occurred over the past three years, which has hit ordinary people and especially the less affluent classes of the British population very hard.

What’s more, as the London newspapers report, there is a real and worrying risk of fresh produce spoiling. The reason being is that the new measures force European exporters to pay a sort of tax when moving products through Britain’s import ports. In addition, products of animal origin must be accompanied by a package of veterinary certification documents issued in the countries of the products’ origin. But documents alone won’t be enough: the checks, upon arrival on British soil, will significantly slow down delivery times, which could lead to a risk of product spoilage if the new procedures are too slow.

According to a recent Nomisma study, despite a global scenario dominated by uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, Italian agri-food exports managed to grow sharply in 2023, exceeding 62 billion euros. Last year, Italian agri-food exports grew by 6%, second only to Germany, which performed slightly better, reaching +6.2%, while France, China, and the USA ended the year negative. The growth of “Made in Italy” agri-food products on foreign markets was driven by canned vegetables (+13%), cheese (+12%), fruits and vegetables (+9%), and processed meat (+8%). However, pasta export growth is below average (+4%), and wine exports are declining (–1%).