Logistics UK: fix border friction with EU deal on SPS

Business group Logistics UK has urged the British government to make an agreement with the EU on the movement of food and animal products a priority, in order to cut unnecessary friction at the border and red tape which it says is affecting trade.

An agreement between the UK and EU on sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks has been in negotiation for some time, and if reached would align UK standards with EU rules, thereby avoiding the need for most routine border checks on food and other products of animal origin, Logistics UK says.

The organisation cites expert estimates that such an agreement could add £1.5 billion per year to the British economy.

“Since the UK left the EU, our members have worked tirelessly to keep goods moving smoothly across borders, but new requirements have added paperwork, certification and checks which increase the cost and complexity of moving goods,” said James Mills, Logistics UK’s head of trade.

“Government should prioritise practical steps that fix the friction at the border and support trade-led growth. Reaching an SPS agreement with the EU would remove much of the unnecessary bureaucracy currently slowing the movement of goods and help ensure trade with our largest trading partner flows more efficiently – as when the UK trades it grows.”