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Seafrigo chief hits out at import charges

[ April 4, 2024   //   ]

Mike Parr, director of logistics company PML Seafrigo has described the government’s recently announced fixed charges for food imports as “yet another blow to the already fragile fresh produce sector which has already been hit by so many additional costs and challenges due to the post-Brexit border control plans.”

He said: “The common user charge (CUC) is effectively another business tax that will be applied to each commodity line in a Common Health Entry Document (CHED). Although fees are capped – £145 for every consignment arriving via the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel –this is another expense for importers and retailers to bear, which will of course be reflected in further delays at the ports and another price hike for essential food items.”

 What is particularly frustrating he said is that the fee is being levied on all fresh produce and plants passing through Dover or Folkestone – even if they don’t pass through the government controlled inspection post at Sevington.

PML Seafrigo has its own 24/7 border control post at Lympne, which is closer to Dover than Sevington, yet its customers will still be charged the CUC – effectively asking businesses such as Seafrigo to collect taxes on the government’s behalf.

Also, said Parr, the fee will be reviewed annually by Defra and could easily be increased. 

He added that, post-Brexit, there is a growing reluctance to export fresh produce to the UK because it is now fraught with bureaucratic policies and red tape and this latest additional cost is just further ammunition for that argument.

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