Border checks and fees on EU fruit and vegetable imports scrapped as UK prepares for new SPS deal aimed at cutting costs and easing food supply chains.
The UK government has announced it will scrap border checks and import fees on medium-risk fruit and vegetables arriving from the European Union, in a significant step aimed at easing trade ahead of a landmark new deal with Brussels.
The move is part of a wider plan to finalise a UK-EU sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) agreement, which is expected to streamline the import and export of food products, reduce costs for businesses, and ease pressure on food prices for consumers.
Under current plans, routine border checks on produce such as tomatoes, grapes, cherries, peaches, and peppers will not come into force this summer as previously scheduled. Instead, businesses will be allowed to continue importing these goods without physical inspections or associated charges until at least January 2027.
“This government’s EU deal will make food cheaper, slash bureaucracy and remove cumbersome border controls for businesses.”
Baroness Hayman, Biosecurity Minister
The government said the easement is designed to provide additional time for traders to prepare for the eventual implementation of the SPS framework and to ensure the continued smooth flow of goods across the UK border during this transitional period.
Biosecurity Minister Baroness Hayman said the decision to extend the easement reflects the government’s commitment to “making food cheaper, slashing bureaucracy, and removing cumbersome border controls” for businesses trading with the UK’s largest economic partner.
“This government’s EU deal will make food cheaper, slash bureaucracy and remove cumbersome border controls for businesses,” she said. “A strengthened, forward-looking partnership with the European Union will deliver for working people as part of our Plan for Change.”
Negotiations on the SPS agreement are ongoing, but the principle behind the deal is already clear: to create a shared regulatory space that allows for smoother and safer movement of food and plant products between the UK and EU, without compromising biosecurity.
Currently, traders must adhere to the UK’s Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), which sets out the risk classifications for imported goods and outlines inspection requirements based on those risks. The new SPS agreement will build on this by removing the need for routine checks on certain categories of goods, particularly medium-risk items like many fruits and vegetables.
Officials at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have reiterated that the UK’s biosecurity will remain a top priority, even as physical border controls are relaxed. Risk-based surveillance will continue behind the scenes to ensure that plant pests and diseases are not entering the country unnoticed.
Defra will continue to collaborate with the Animal and Plant Health Agency and Border Control Post operators to maintain these protections while avoiding unnecessary disruption to trade flows.
The announcement has been cautiously welcomed by the food and retail sectors, which have long complained about the financial and logistical burden posed by post-Brexit border checks. Industry leaders argue that removing barriers to trade with the EU will not only reduce food prices for consumers, but also strengthen supply chains at a time of global uncertainty.
Medium-risk fresh produce has been a particular pain point for importers since Brexit, with the prospect of physical checks raising concerns about delays, spoilage, and added costs. The extension of the easement until January 2027 will now give businesses greater breathing space as new systems and agreements are phased in.
The scrapping of fruit and vegetable import checks marks the latest step in the government’s broader effort to reset its relationship with the EU following years of strained post-Brexit negotiations. Ministers have signalled that further improvements to trade, cooperation, and regulatory alignment are on the horizon as part of the UK’s “Plan for Change”.
While the full details of the SPS deal are still to be agreed, the decision to lift checks on key imports ahead of the agreement’s finalisation sends a clear message: that the UK is ready to prioritise practical cooperation with Europe to support its economy and keep household costs down.
