UK horticulture businesses are facing new Brexit inspection charges amid concerns about biosecurity. These charges, known as the Common User Charge (CUC), have been implemented at Sevington for plant imports from the EU, placing increased financial pressure on businesses, particularly smaller ones. Despite being intended to help finance biosecurity measures, the level of inspections remains low, leading to worries about whether the checks adequately protect UK biosecurity.

In an online Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) meeting this week, members raised several critical issues with the current inspection system. According to a member poll, 44.8% of respondents have received invoices for the CUC, as not everyone imports via Sevington, but not everyone is satisfied with the costs. Additionally, 15% of respondents reported problems such as unexpected higher costs and confusion over charges. Businesses also face ongoing confusion due to the new system, which is marked by temporary solutions and unclear procedures. Consignments are frequently held at Border Control Posts (BCPs) without clear explanations, leading to missed delivery slots, delays, and increased costs.

In a recent Politico article, Jonathan Whittemore, Commercial and Business Manager at Johnsons Nurseries said that his team has had to conduct their own inspections due to the perceived inadequacy of APHA checks, leading to multiple re-checks and additional costs. He stressed that detailed inspections are crucial, especially for detecting diseases like Xanthomonas. 

The HTA is regularly speaking with the Defra team to provide feedback on its members’ concerns and suggesting short-medium term support, such as improving the process for recovering held plants, with the HTA producing plant care guidance for port operators and Defra introducing a driver questionnaire at Sevington to ensure imports are in the right place with the right info. Their recommendations include establishing a single point of contact for real-time issue resolution, enhancing IPAFFS visibility for all stakeholders, and improving the Goods Vehicle Movement Service (GVMS) to keep drivers informed about delays and issues with consignments. 

The HTA and other trade groups continue to urge the government to address operational inefficiencies and the financial impact on businesses.  

Sally Cullimore, Technical Policy Manager at the HTA, said: “As discussions continue and the peak import season for trees approaches, there is an urgent need for the government to resolve these issues and provide clearer communication, address operational challenges, and ensure that they achieve their intended biosecurity goals without unduly burdening UK businesses. We are following the discussions the Prime Minister is having with EU counterparts on an SPS agreement with keen interest. We want to ensure this includes a plant health agreement, and we are working with many sister organisations in Europe to talk about what that might look like to ensure strict levels of biosecurity but ease barriers to trade, which we are feeding back into the government.”