Beginning on April 30, a maximum fee of £145 will be imposed on imports of plant and animal goods, including fish and cheese, that come into the UK via the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel.
The government stated that the levies will not apply to items brought into the UK for personal use and are meant to offset the cost of operating new border control stations required following Brexit.
However, importers cautioned that the additional fees might result in higher consumer pricing.
Phil Pluck, CEO of the Cold Chain Federation, stated: “In the end, this will increase business costs and food prices and possibly lower choices for the shopper.”
The Horticultural Trades Association’s chairman, James Barnes, observed that the policy “feels like it is constructed on the back of an envelope at best” and that the levies would “undoubtedly increase costs” and raise the possibility of supermarket shelves being bare.
