Business, Forwarding, Freight News, Logistics


New trade deal could spell end of hated SPS checks – updated

[ May 19, 2025   //   ]

Freight and logistics groups have welcomed a new deal signed between the UK and European Union on 19 May could reduce border checks on animal and plant shipments under a new sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, saying that it could remove one of the most troublesome aspects of the post-Brexit trading environment.

Steve Parker, director general of the British International Freight Association said that BIFA members, and importers and exporters, “will be breathing a sigh of relief following practical commitments to improve regulatory cooperation.”

He said the summit marked a leap forward in the EU-UK’s trading relationship, after the turbulence of the last decade.
Freight forwarding and logistics businesses would be especially pleased with the announcements of cooperation on Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) measures, which should cut cost, complexity and delays.
Simpler border processes for businesses in Northern Ireland and Ireland would also be welcomed and should facilitate smoother trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
He added: “We hope that the announcement will significantly simplify border processes and consequently contribute to increased volumes of goods traded between the UK and the EU.
It is now down to government to work out the most practical solutions and BIFA is ready to support any effort to achieve that.”
Parker also welcomed the announcement of closer cooperation on the Emission Trading Systems, but called on the government to ensure the most practical reporting solution is adopted in the UK.
He concluded: “We need to make the most of this opportunity by recognising that there has been a reset of the country’s trading relationship with the EU, and trying to future proof it.”

Nichola Mallon, head of trade and devolved policy at Logistics UK also said that changes to SPS between GB and EU, and between GB and Northern Ireland could strengthen the UK Internal Market and boost trade with the EU, but full judgement will be reserved until the detail can be assessed:

She said: “The new deal has the potential to drive growth throughout the UK by boosting GB agrifood trade to NI, and between GB and the EU, through reduced bureaucracy, costs and border delays. While the technical details have yet to be agreed, our members will welcome the deal in principle. It is now vital that the technical discussions and implementation, shaped by the input of businesses which have the expertise, are completed as a matter of urgency, so that UK traders and logistics businesses can realise the benefits of trading under the revised terms.”

She said that current SPS checks on plant and animal products moving between is adding time, bureaucracy and cost to UK traders and logistics operators, particularly for smaller firms and groupage operators in particular, as the same fees had to be paid even on smaller shipments.

The Port of Dover likewise welcomed the commitment to removing barriers such as SPS check and called for this to be implemented as quickly as possible.

It said: “An improvement in border processes will not only restore confidence for businesses and investors but also drive economic growth and supply chain resilience, and we are pleased to see these objectives recognised in today’s agreement.”

However, Phase 3 of the Not for EU labelling on composite products will still need to be implemented, as scheduled, from 1 July and SPS checks will not be removed by that date, Mallon said. It is also not possible at this stage to know timescales for the removal of SPS checks as technical discussions and the implementation stage have yet to be agreed, she added.

BIFA said it had raised the issue with  DEFRA following the announcement and raised it as a point for urgent consideration, adding: “DEFRA and the government are aware that an introduction of new checks, only for them to be removed in a near future, would be hugely impractical and disruptive.
“We understand that they are reviewing their policy as a result, and we hope to see a pragmatic response to our concerns.”

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