Northern Ireland Protocol - what you need to know

If you are sending goods to Northern Ireland from 1 January 2021, you should act now to:

• Register for the Trader Support Service – this will help you complete new customs procedures for movement of goods between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
• Register for the new UK Trader Scheme – this will allow you to declare goods that are moving to Northern Ireland but will not be moved on to the EU so you will not have to pay EU duty on them. To be eligible you need to have a fixed place of business in Northern Ireland.
• Contact the Movement Assistance Scheme (MAS) on 0330 0416 580 – advisers can help with the new requirements, including advice on export health certificates, live animals, animal products, and plants and plant products. The MAS will also provide support with some additional certification costs.

To minimise the impacts of other checks and controls, a ‘phased solution’ will support the supply of agri-food products to authorised traders, such as retailers and their trusted suppliers. This only applies to businesses supplying those supply chains.

• A three-month grace period to 1 April 2021 where official certification, such as export health certificates and phytosanitary certificates, will not be required for those supply chains.
• A six-month grace period to 1 July 2021 to allow the movement of chilled meats, which would otherwise have been subject to certain legal restrictions and prohibitions.

If you do not supply those supply chains, you should prepare for SPS checks by:

• Registering with TRACES NT (for prior notification);
• Familiarising yourself with the requirements for new health certificates (export health certificates for live animals and products of animal origin and phytosanitary certificates for plants and plant products).

Contact the Movement Assistance Scheme for further advice and guidance on these checks.

More from NFUonline:

• Preparing your business for the end of the transition period
• The seven key things that will help farmers manage the process of leaving the EU
• Movement Assistance Scheme launched - what you need to know