Retailers and food producers call for reduced checks on food imports
More than a dozen of Britain’s leading retailers and food producers, including Marks & Spencer, J Sainsbury, and Asda, are urging the EU to reduce checks on food and drink shipments across the Channel and Irish Sea, claiming these checks are costing the industry billions of pounds. In anticipation of a summit on May 19 aimed at “resetting” trade relations post-Brexit, they advocate for a deal on sanitary and phytosanitary checks, including a veterinary agreement and harmonization of food safety rules. The effort seeks to streamline trade and alleviate unnecessary regulatory burdens.