Jonathan English, International Graduate Strategic Projects, Bord Bia - The Irish Food Board
Supply Chain Workshop - Developing UK Customer Advantage in the Supply Chain
We would like to invite you, and your supply chain colleagues, to Bord Bia’s first Supply Chain workshop of 2020 led by our UK Supply Chain consultant Simply Supply Chain.
This session follows the Supply Chain Optimisation workshop we held in October 2019. It highlighted that to gain competitive advantage in today’s UK Grocery market you must truly understand the customer and use this to drive action that pulls the supply chain forward. This half-day workshop on 24th January focuses on key steps in developing your advantage in the supply chain and strengthening supply chain relationship with key UK customers.
The workshop will involve interactive participation and will address the following areas:
- To highlight the key requirements that UK customers require suppliers to address.
- To share best practice insights into how leading suppliers can gain competitive advantage via their supply chains.
- To provide insights into key tools and techniques for suppliers to self-diagnose and improve the understanding of their own customer-experience, and identify areas for improvement
We will be requesting completion of a pre-workshop survey which will be shared once you have registered your interest.
This workshop is free of charge and lunch will be provided.
Don’t delay in signing-up colleagues today who work directly in supply chain operations and/or commercial teams with UK customers. Registration for this workshop closes on Friday the 13th of December.
Johnson Calls on UK Consumers to ‘Buy British’ in election campaign
As the UK General Election campaign unfolds, news from this week from the Farming Independent states that Boris Johnson has encouraged UK consumers to ‘Buy British’. The Conservatives plan to establish a seven-year transition period so that changes can be introduced gradually. However, if the UK is to leave the EU in a no deal scenario, they will still require food imports from established trading partners.
Future UK Trade Relations with the EU
In their weekly bulletin, the UK’s Provision Trade Federation (PTF) highlighted the implications of food imports and sustainability in relation to future trade relations with the EU and with the rest of the world. They believe that it is important moving forward, with the possibility of trade negotiations, that the UK can demonstrate an ability to raise environmental standards in their own food and farming systems. Imports of cheap food from less well regulated systems could simply make it uneconomic for UK producers to compete, as could the loss of existing export markets. The current Brexit timetable suggests that terms of trade may have to be agreed before conclusions have been reached on what the UK wants their national food system to deliver.
The new EU Institutional Cycle
The new European Commission has finally taken office. The UK is not a member of the new Commission led by Ursula von der Leyen. Charles Michel has also replaced Donald Tusk as President of the Council. Michel Barnier will still be the EU’s lead negotiator for future trade talks, though he will need a fresh mandate from the Council for this.
Official Controls Regulation (OCR) – Changes in the trading of Animals and Animal Products
The EU has also introduced some Official Controls changes on imports from 3rd countries from the 14th of December 2019. The UK’s International Meat Trade Association (IMTA) has highlighted some of these changes as follows:
1. Border Control Posts (BCPs)
All Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) and Designated Points of Entry (DPEs) will automatically be re-designated as Border Control Posts (BCPs).
2. Pre-notification deadline
Importers of live animals and animal products will need to give the relevant BCP at least one working day, and a minimum of four hours prior notice of importation. There are no changes to the minimum pre-notification period for live animals.
3. Common Health Entry Document
Importers will also complete a new Common Health Entry Document (CHED), replacing the Common Veterinary Entry Document (CVED) and the Common Entry Document (CED). Some additional commodities such as reptile meats, rendered animal fats and insects will now require a model certificate.
4. Stricter rules on replacement certificates
The new legislation means that it will be more difficult to get a replacement certificate. It may be beneficial to bring this to the attention of the exporter in the third country of origin.
5. New pre-notification IT system
From 11pm on 13 December 2019 TRACES NT will be the new system used for notifying imports from outside the EU. For such imports arriving in Ireland after this date, you will need to notify using TRACES NT.
Goods that have been pre-notified on TRACES Classic (in use now), will not automatically transfer over to TRACES NT. This means that if you are importing goods from outside the EU that arrive on or after 14 December and that have already been pre-notified you will need to repeat the process on the new IT system.
If you use TRACES Classic for intra EU Trade, you must continue to do so.
New Plant Health Regulation (PHR) - Moving Plant and Plant Products
DEFRA have pointed out that the Plant Health Regulation (PHR) will also be introduced on the 14th of December. The PHR will apply to all businesses involved in the production, manufacture, supply and regulation of plants, seeds, timber (including the manufacture and repair of wood packaging to international standard ISPM15) and plant products.
More regulated plants and plant products will require a plant passport for movement within the UK and the EU. All plants and certain plant products will require a phytosanitary certificate for imports from third countries, unless they are one of these five tropical fruit species: pineapple, coconut, durian, banana, dates. A new category of ‘high risk’ plants will be introduced. The importing of any ‘high risk’ plants and plant products will be prohibited from entering the EU from all third countries until a full risk assessment is conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).
Key Dates
12 December: UK General Election: Polling Day
13 December: Results announced of UK General Election
14th December: Changes to the Official Controls Regulation (OCR) and introduction of the new Plant Health Regulation (PHR) will take place.
W/c 18 December: UK Parliament opens (first day of sitting still TBC but Monday likely)
31 January 2020: Current legal date for UK to leave the EU
June 2020: EU agrees MFF 2021-2027
December 2020: End of transition (implementation) period [contingent on a Withdrawal Agreement being in place]