'There will be no non-tariffs barriers to trade’ stated Johnson boldly on 24 Dec 20. Yet to qualify for tariff-free access, however, UK goods need to meet rule-of-origin requirements.The UK and the EU have implemented the agreement at different speeds. The EU immediately applied full checks on UK imports but the UK delayed the introduction of full customs requirements on UK imports from the EU until January 2022, with additional health, safety and security checks delayed until February 2024. These are now coming into play this Thursday 1st February. Despite knowing this had to come into force, there is a marked shortage of inspectors, vets and computer systems. Checks, when achieved, also come at a cost. So Rees-Mogg, what happened to your promise of cheaper (and one assumes, available) food after Brexit??
For more information, check out BBC Newsnight last night, Mon 29th Jan
