Deal finalised to remove Brexit checks on food and animal products

Agreement to ease rules on food imports and exports is now expected to come into force in first quarter of 2028

The EU and the UK have completed their deal to remove Brexit checks on imports and exports of food and animal products ranging from sausages and cheese to leather goods and flowers.

It will prove a boon for British food exporters, for whom trade with Europe has dropped by a third since 2019, and will also mean smaller retailers in the UK such as delicatessens can return to buying smaller batches of cheese and wines, something that became impossible because of the cost of Brexit checks introduced in 2022.