Exports to the United Kingdom after their withdrawal from the EU (Brexit)

While the agreement facilitates trade, it does not mean that the terms and conditions for trade are the same as when the UK was an EU member state.

Regarding regulations on trade and movement of animals and plants aimed to prevent the spread of animal diseases and plant pests, the UK is considered now as a third country.

Northern Ireland continues to be subject to certain regulations that apply within the EU's internal market for goods, according to the provisions of the EU-UK withdrawal agreement. This includes rules for trading and moving animals and plants, as well as EU customs regulations. This means that border control of certain goods coming from the EU will instead take place at the border between Northern Ireland and the rest of UK. Additionally, some goods sold in Northern Ireland originating from Great Britain (Wales, England and Scotland) are not allowed to be moved to the EU.

We only handle information related to exports to Great Britain and do not go into detail about the regulations concerning Northern Ireland.

UK information on imports from the EU

The responsible authority in the UK as regards import of animals, plants and products thereof is the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

• Import live animals and germinal products from the EU to Great Britain (gov.uk)
• Guidance on importing live animals or animal products (gov.uk)
• Importing and exporting plants and plant products (gov.uk)

The Border Target Operating Model sets the standard for importing products into the UK. Since its implementation, the UK has introduced new rules in several stages, and conditions may change in the future as well. Therefore, it is crucial for exporters to stay updated with the rules via the responsible authority, DEFRA, website.

• Guidance on Border Operating Model (gov.uk)

Categories based on risk

Under the Border Target Operating Model, products are categorized by risk. Different certification requirements and border controls apply for products belonging different risk categories. Animal and plant products are divided into three categories based on their risk for transmitting diseases.

When exporting to the Great Britain, you need first to determine the risk category of your product as this will give you information about the specific requirements your product needs to fulfill. If you are exporting a plant or plant related product, you may need a phytosanitary certificate issued by the Swedish Board of Agriculture. For animals and animal products, in a majority of cases a veterinary certificate issued by an official veterinarian is needed.

According to the Great Britain's risk categorization, you do not need a health certificate for low-risk products.

• Import risk categories for animals, animal products, plants and plant products (gov.uk)

Plants

If you are going to export plant or plant products, you need to check if you need a phytosanitary certificate. Please be aware that the Great Britain may conduct physical checks on the consignment.

• Import plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain (gov.uk)

For information about phytosanitary certificates and how apply for them please visit our website.

• Phytosanitary certificates and other measures against plant pests in trade with non-EU countries in plants, plant products and other objects (in Swedish)
• E-service for application for a phytosanitary certificate

Animals and products of animal origin

When exporting animals or products from animals, you need an export health certificate as long as your product belongs categories high or medium risk. Please be aware that the Great Britain may conduct physical checks on the consignment.

Health certificate

A health certificate is an official document certifying that the animals or animal products exported to the Great Britain meet their import health requirements for that specific animal species or product. The export health certificate needs to be issued by an official veterinarian.
If you need an export health certificate, please contact an official veterinarian in good time before the planned date for your travel or export.

• When you need a health certificate for animals or products from animals (in Swedish)
• Official veterinarians in Sweden (in Swedish)

Please ensure that the animal or product from the animal that you are exporting meets the requirements in the relevant health certificate. If the animal or product from animals originates from another EU member state than Sweden, you may need a supplementary certificate from the country of origin to meet the Great Britain's import requirements. This is to enable the official veterinarian to issue the health certificate. A complementary certificate from the member state of origin needs to be issued by an official veterinarian in the country from which the product originates. In case of uncertainty please contact the official veterinarian responsible for issuing the final export certificate to the Great Britain.

The health certificates are available at the responsible authority, DEFRA, website. For information about the requirements for the relevant certificate for your specific product please visit their website.

• Model health certificates for exports of live animals and animal products to Great Britain (gov.uk)

Health certificates are available in the EU-wide data system TRACES that the official veterinarians use for issuing export health certificates to the Great Britain. For more information about TRACES please visit our website.

• Traces for consignments of animals, feed and animal products (in Swedish)
• Traces – notifying travel and trade in animals and animal products etc. (in Swedish)

To get help with filling out the different parts of the certificate please visit the responsible authority DEFRA's website. This website contains instructions or other helpful resources specific to the form you need to complete.

• How to complete a health certificate to export animals and animal products to Great Britain (gov.uk)

Please note that there are also other rules and regulations that may have an impact on your export/transport which you need to be aware of. These may include requirement about commercial documents, such as a description of the content of the consignment and the address of the exporter and importer accompanying the consignment. Different animals and products need to meet different requirements regarding the compulsory information to be included.

• Import live animals and germinal products from the EU to Great Britain (gov.uk)
• Import animal by-products from the EU to Great Britain (gov.uk)
• Import high risk food and feed of non-animal origin from the EU to Great Britain (gov.uk)

Register facility

Please ensure that your holding with animals is registered with the Swedish Board of Agriculture. Even the planned movement of animals to another country needs to be registered.

• E-service: Establishment register – locations with animals (in Swedish)

Pre-registration

Consignments needs to be pre-notified to the Great Britain border control before arrival. The requirement applies to

• live animals
• breeding products
• animal by-products (ABP)
• high-risk food and feed of non-animal origin (HRFNAO)
• products of animal origin (POAO)
  
• composite food products
• medium and high risk plants and plant products.

Most products need to be pre-notified no later than one working day before the estimated arrival to the Great Britain.

• Import of products, animals, food and feed system (IPAFFS) (gov.uk)

Transport

Please control in advance the requirements in the regulations applying to transport. Please note that the transporter needs to meet both the requirements applying in the EU and in the Great Britain.

Transit through the Great Britain

For consignments of animals, plants and animal or plant products coming from the EU and intended to be transported through the Great Britain to another EU country or to a non-EU country, information is available on the responsible authority, DEFRA, website.

• Transiting animals and animal products through Great Britain (gov.uk)

Restrictions in the event of an outbreak of a disease

Please note that there may be export restrictions linked to the particular recipient country due to outbreaks of infectious animal diseases that you need to be aware of. In the event of such outbreaks in the country of origin, the UK may decide to impose temporary import restrictions on part or entire country from which the product originates, to protect its own animal population from infection.

In case the animals or their products originates from Sweden please visit our webbsite to get more information about the current restrictions.

• Restrictions on trade and movements (in Swedish)
• Imports, exports and EU trade of animals and animal products: topical issues

Tariffs and tariff quotas

The agreement between the EU and the UK provides for duty and quota-free trade . However, in order for a product to benefit from this duty-free status, it must comply with the rules of origin laid down in the Agreement, i.e. it can be classified as a product coming from the EU or from the UK.

You can read more about duty and quota free trades on the website of the National Board of Trade Sweden.

• Origin rules in trade in goods with the UK (kommerskollegium.se) (in Swedish)
• Introduction to rules of origin and claiming duties when trading between the UK and EU

If animals or products are going back to Sweden from the Great Britain

If you are bringing animals or products to Sweden that have been or were processed in the Great Britain, they need to meet EU import requirements for products returning from third countries to the EU. The animal or product is allowed to enter the EU only through a border control station.

• Import and border controls of animals, animal products and feed

Contact us

If you have any questions about exporting to the Great Britain, please contact us by e-mail.

• exportfragor@jordbruksverket.se

Information from authorities

Verksamt.se is jointly operated by the Swedish Public Employment Service, the Swedish Companies Registration Office, the Swedish Tax Agency and the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth as part of the government collaboration “Start and run a business”. Verksamt.se contains information from more than 45 authorities.

• Agriculture and food export (verksamt.se)

You might also be interested in this

• Brexit – what are the implications for Swedish trade? (tullverket.se)
• Great Britain – post-Brexit agreement with the EU (kommerskollegium.se) (in Swedish)