Removal of fruit and veg border checks is expected to make food cheaper

The government has explained that the agreement will establish a UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary zone, slashing costs, easing pressure on food prices and eliminating routine SPS border checks for food exports and imports.

This means that checks on medium-risk fruit and vegetables (including tomatoes, grapes, plums, cherries, peaches, peppers, and more) imported from the EU will not be required – and will therefore not be brought into force this summer.

In the short term, businesses can continue importing medium-risk fruit and vegetables from the EU without the products being subject to import checks or being charged associated fees.

Defra said that the SPS agreement will make food trade with the UK’s biggest market cheaper and easier.

“Cutting excessive red tape and fees for traders exporting to and importing from the EU will strengthen supply chains and reduce prices for businesses and consumers,” its spokesperson said.

‘Simpler and more friction-free process’

Jack Ward, CEO of British Growers Association, said that the border checks removal will help to pave the way for a simpler and more friction-free process.

He added: “Many of the major fresh produce companies growing in the UK are also growing in other countries to provide continuity of supply and ensure retailer shelves are stocked with fresh produce 24/7.

“Since we formally left the EU in 2020, there has been a lack of coherence from successive governments about the control measures at UK ports, which has increased the bureaucracy and cost associated with bringing seasonal fresh produce into the UK.”

Biosecurity minister Baroness Hayman pledged that the deal with the EU will make food cheaper, slash bureaucracy and remove cumbersome border controls for businesses.

“A strengthened, forward-looking partnership with the European Union will deliver for working people as part of our Plan for Change,” the minister added.

The easement of import checks on medium-risk fruit and vegetables from the EU was introduced as a temporary measure to provide businesses time to prepare for their implementation and ensure a smooth flow of essential goods across the UK border.

The easement of checks has now been extended from 1st July 2025 to 31st January 2027 as a contingency measure, following the government’s announcement that it will agree to a new SPS deal with the EU.

The details of the SPS agreement are now to be negotiated; traders must continue to comply with the UK’s Border Target Operating Model (BTOM).

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