The UK Government has delayed introducing more checks on EU goods entering the UK over fears it will disrupt supply chains and add to rising inflation.

The BBC says new import controls on EU food products had been due to begin in July.

The Government said "it would be wrong to impose new administrative burdens and risk disruption at ports" at a time of higher costs due to the war in Ukraine and rising energy prices.

It is the fourth time it has delayed the import checks since the UK left the EU.

Brexit opportunities minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Government was reviewing how it would implement checks on EU goods and that "the new controls regime will come into force at the end of 2023".

He claimed that the delay would save British businesses up to £1billion in annual costs.

Mr Rees-Mogg said it would have been "an act of self-harm" if the Government had decided to go ahead with the import controls.

He said the checks would have brought "quite significant" price increases for people at a time when the Government was "trying to reduce costs."

More like this…

View all