Prepare your food and drink business for a no-deal Brexit

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What you need to do to prepare your food and drink business for a no-deal Brexit.

Importing and exporting

To continue importing and exporting products between the UK and EU you must:

1. Get a UK Economic Operator Registration and Identification (EORI) number.

2. Decide if you want to hire an import-export agent, or make the declarations yourself.

3. Contact the organisation that moves your goods to find out what they need to make the declarations for your goods, or if you will need to make them yourself.

Read the guidance on simplified customs procedures for trading with the EU if we leave without a deal.

Further information is provided in HMRC’s advice for businesses trading with the EU.

You can also view flowcharts on how to import and export certain products after Brexit.

Preparing to move goods between Ireland and Northern Ireland

Goods moving between Ireland and Northern Ireland will have different procedures compared to other UK-EU trade.

Read the guidance on customs procedures and VAT for goods moving between Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Preparing for changes to existing trade agreements

The way you access existing favourable arrangements with non-EU countries may change.

Read the guidance on changes to trading with non-EU countries that have a free trade agreement with the EU.

Preparing for changes to import tariffs

The UK will implement a temporary tariff regime for up to 12 months.

Under the temporary tariff regime the majority of UK imports would be tariff-free, but in certain sectors, such as agriculture, tariffs would be maintained.

Check the temporary rates of customs duty on imports after Brexit.

Animals, animal products and high risk feed

The way you import and notify the UK authorities of these imports will change.

You can read guidance on importing animals, animal products and high-risk food and feed not of animal origin if the UK leaves the EU with no-deal and importing and exporting live animals and animal products.

You’ll need to follow new processes to export the following in no-deal Brexit:

• animals and animal products
• fish and fishery products

Plants and plant products

Plants and plant products (for example, certain vegetables, seeds and fruit) currently managed under the EU plant passport scheme will be subject to UK import controls.

There is a new import process you must follow and new rules for exports.

Read the guidance on importing and exporting plants and plant products if there’s a no-deal Brexit and plant health controls.

Food and organic produce labelling

The rules for what you must show on food labels will change for some food and drink products.

The food labelling changes include:

• country of origin labelling
• food business operator (FBO) address labelling
• use of the EU emblem
• use of the EU health and identification marks
• use of the EU organic logo
• use of the geographical indication (GI) logo

Read the guidance on food labelling changes after Brexit and the EU’s guidance for goods on the EU market.

Organic food trading and labelling

The EU organic logo must not appear on UK organic goods. If the UK is able to achieve equivalence with the EU – where both still recognise each other’s standards – before exit day, then UK organic goods can enter the EU and can continue to use the logo.

If the UK does not achieve recognition from the EU, you will not be able to export organic food or feed to the EU after Brexit.

Non-EU (third country) organic products can be checked at any point of entry and only need to enter at a Border Inspection Post (BIP) if they are classed as another commodity that requires checking. For example, an organic sausage will need to enter at a BIP that can check animal products.

Read the guidance on trading and labelling organic food labelling after Brexit.

Marketing standards

Products that may be subject to changes after a no-deal Brexit include:

• fruits and vegetables
• hops
• wine
• beef and veal
• eggs
• hatching eggs and chicks
• poultry meat

Marketing standards inspections will continue, but will be managed to minimise delays at the border and disruption to trade flows.

If you export these products to the EU, you will need to meet the marketing standards requirements for third countries set out in the EC marketing standards regulations, until more information is available.

Your employees

There are certain schemes and processes you need to be aware of if you employ people.

Find out more in Employing EU, EEA and Swiss citizens after Brexit.

Chemical regulations

If your business uses chemicals, you should:

• visit the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) website for information on how each of the chemicals regimes will be affected
• read the UK REACH guidance for actions for businesses using chemicals
• check actions for different types of businesses in the HSE’s scenario summary table

Data protection

Your business will need to make sure it follows data protection law.

If you operate across the EU or exchange personal data with organisations in the EEA, there may be changes that you need to make before the UK leaves the EU.

Read the 6 step process and the data protection guidance from the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).

You can also check if you can use standard contractual clauses (SCCs) for transfers from the EEA to the UK.