Source: Pig333.com,8 February 2021, photo credit: The Local Spain
Despite the trade agreement reached between the United Kingdom and the European Union (EU), the exit from the EU Customs Union and single market means additional controls, new labeling and certification requirements, and delays at ports. Although the full impact of the new rules has yet to be felt, as UK export volumes remain lower than normal for this time of year. There are some sectors, such as the pork industry, that are being severely affected.
Pork processors have experienced significant delays at several ports, such as Dover and Calais, due to the excessive paperwork required following Brexit. As a result, they are increasingly reluctant to ship for fear of rejection due to product spoilage.
According to the National Pork Association (NPA), processors have reported a number of problems, such as the rigor of the evaluation of documentation by the authorities of some ports, such as the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands. In some cases, cargo has been held for 20 hours for veterinary checks and then rejected at its final destination due to the delay.
They also report the excessive time needed, sometimes more than 9 hours, to prepare the additional documents required, and that some export health certificates need up to 12 stamps for the version in different languages, in duplicate (at the moment there is no electronic version, all certificates have to be in paper format).
In the first 10 months of 2020, the UK exported over 180,000 tons of pork to the EU, representing 44% of UK pork exports.
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The South African Pork Producers’ Organisation (SAPPO) coordinates industry interventions and collaboratively manages risks in the value chain to enable the sustainability and profitability of pork producers in South Africa.
