Information

UK-EU trade deal

The UK has left the European Union, and the transition period after Brexit has come to an end. The UK-EU trade deal, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, means quota-free and tariff-free trade can continue to take place between the UK and EU subject to Rules of Origin (RoO) requirements. It has been signed by the UK Government, European Commission and EU Council and implementing legislation has been passed at Westminster to put it into law in the UK.

Find out more about the summary of the UK-EU trade deal, the Trade and Cooperation Agreement including important points to note regarding: Tariffs and quotas, Rules of Origin, Customs cooperation and facilitation, Sanitary & Phytosanitary (SPS), Geographical Indications/PGI, Transport, Mobility, Fisheries, Data, and EU programmes.

The Deal >

EU Exit Food Hub

This site hub provides tailored and practical information and advice on the main things businesses need to understand and do for Brexit. This includes information on exporting, importing, labelling, certification, transport, and workforce issues – and is updated as new rules and guidance from Governments emerge.

Visit the hub >

Prepare for Brexit

Run by Scotland’s enterprise agencies, this website covers all sectors across the economy, including food and drink. It includes useful information on developments, a helpful Q&A on a range of issues, free trade agreements, and webinars.

Find more support >

EU Exit - Food Standards Scotland

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has launched a a web page to help business ensure they have made the mandatory changes to their business around new rules and regulations. 

Find out more >

Trading guidance

Food & Drink Federation Scotland has shared five-step guidance documents to help you get prepared for trading after 1 January 2021. 

This covers both information importing from and exporting to the EU.

UK trade agreements with non-EU countries

A full list of trade agreements that are in effect plus progress of discussions with other countries can be found here.

Export resources

DEFRA has created a bank of resources on EU exporting. Find past and upcoming presentations here.

Common Brexit issues

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) have collated a list of common issues companies have currently been facing. A full list can be found below:

For suppliers

• Discrepancies between the documents provided to the COs and the labels on the products checked (wrong ID mark, different batch numbers, different production dates, total number of boxes, weights, wrong supplier, etc.)
• Delays in the Hub obtaining the information from their suppliers
• Incomplete information from suppliers (number or incorrect commodity code, common name of product with no scientific name, etc)
• Excessive time required for the Hubs to verify the information before presenting the loads to the COs
  • If there is incomplete information the Hubs need to go back to the suppliers to get the right information – eg 3 separate batch numbers in the chiller for one load but the paperwork had two completely different batch numbers
• Mix up’s with destination – some goods for Northern Ireland were recorded on paperwork for Europe
• Wrong trailer numbers and wrong seal numbers given by hub
• Some loads arriving late so EHCs delayed

 

FSS continue to work with Scottish Government, APHA and DEFRA to resolve these issues:

• Lack of clarity on how to certify Faroes product for EU
• BCPs want wild caught and farmed salmon on separate EHCs contrary to DEFRA guidance
• Several small quantity suppliers asking if they need an EHC for a few packets
• Considerable push back from suppliers about Supplier declarations provision
• Lack of clarity on export of whole scallops and crab meat
• Suppliers confused about approval numbers when in a complex chain
• Being asked about a Peterhead and Aberdeen hub
• Can fish defrost on same pallet as fresh
• Problems issuing EHCs for Norwegian Salmon being re-exported
• BCP considering rejecting fish supplied in water (and ice)
• Commodity codes not recognised in HMRC export system – Monkfish cheeks and skate wings