NORTHERN IRELAND

BMPA: End of the road for ‘triangular trade’ of meat into Northern Ireland

Monday 15 January 2024 will mark another erosion of the ability of UK meat businesses to operate and trade flexibly and cost-effectively within our own borders, according to British Meat Processors Association (BMPA).

Posted on Jan 13 ,00:05

BMPA: End of the road for ‘triangular trade’ of meat into Northern Ireland

It will no longer be possible to bring in bulk shipments of meat from overseas to a central hub in mainland Great Britain, then send it onwards in smaller consignments for further processing to Northern Ireland. This is because, under EU rules, which will now be fully imposed, it will be considered ‘triangular trade’ whereby a vet from one country (UK) cannot re-certify material from another country (e.g. New Zealand) for onward movement to Northern Ireland. Any hopes for this type of trade to continue were quashed when UK government was unable to secure the easements required for it to do so within the Windsor Framework.

But this obscure trade rule has real-world ramifications for UK companies. Losing the flexibility to move product between processing plants forces them to have to re-jig their staffing and plant capacity. It will likely rob jobs and production from Northern Ireland and require expansion somewhere on the mainland, all of which costs money, and adds to food price inflation.

These extra layers of rules and bureaucracy only serve to add cost to businesses that already run on wafer-thin margins. It prevents them from operating in the most commercially efficient and productive way.

 NEWSLETTER - Stay informed with the latest news!

Comments





Similar articles

AUSTRALIA

MLA: Significant strides made in North America market

Central to the Aussie Meat Academy are influential food industry professionals who are passionate...


Read more Read more
WALES

Muslim markets support the future of Welsh Lamb sales, says expert

“Looking at the United Kingdom alone, there are 3.9m Muslims and our research suggests that...


Read more Read more
INTERNATIONAL

A year of milestones for the Europe, Middle East and Africa region

A record-breaking Gulfood attendance set the tone for the year, with tradeshows and exhibitions b...


Read more Read more
Websolutions by Angular Software and SpiderClass