Kent Trading Standards and international trade experts are coming together to help Kent businesses prepare for importing changes.
Now the UK has left the EU, new rules for bringing animal and plant goods made in the European Union into Britain will be introduced on 1st October 2021.
The changes, which initially cover products such as honey, lavender, meat, seafood, leather and pet food, will then apply to all goods from 1st January 2022.
A total 24,500 (27%) Kent businesses are involved in importing – directly or via suppliers – from the single market.
A series of four free Q&A-style webinars over the summer get underway on Thursday 24th June with a dedicated session on food and drink.
A webinar on product safety follows on Thursday 22nd July with the remaining two sessions on Thursday 26th August and Thursday 23rd September covering questions and issues raised directly by businesses.
All briefings take place between 1-2pm.
Fielding questions in next week’s opening event, chaired by Kent & Medway Growth Hub’s Tudor Price, will be:
- Nathan Martin, KCC Principal Trading Standards Officer
- Anthony Baldock, Head of Port Health
- Michaela Tharby, Defra (Animal Imports), and
- Graham Card, Kent Invicta Chamber of Commerce International Trade Adviser
Head of Kent Trading Standards Steve Rock said: “We are urging all businesses who bring goods into the UK from Europe to be prepared for new import rules. We particularly want Kent’s smaller and medium-sized companies to get ready because the price for getting it wrong could be significant.
“Goods that fail to comply with the new rules will be refused entry to the UK and business could be liable for the costs for checking, storing and re-working the goods so they meet customs’ requirements.
“Failure to deliver goods on time may also lead to a breach of contract, loss of trading partners, and reputational as well as financial damage – all of which is hard for any business to absorb but especially so for SMEs who naturally have less capacity to carry unplanned costs and challenges.”
To find out more about the events and sign up visit: Brexit Import Events 2021 (kentpublicprotection.info)
For further free advice about trading with Europe, call the Kent and Medway Growth Hub helpline on 03333 602 300 and visit kent.gov.uk/about-the-council/uk-has-left-the-european-union to see more help on offer.