UK’s new post-Brexit border checks on imports from EU to lead to rising living costs

Complex procedures, more delays and higher transportation fees due to UK's latest border checks on imports from the European Union (EU) could possibly cause higher living costs as they cover most of the daily grocery.

New post-Brexit border checks on imports from the EU to the UK on medium- and high-risk food and plants start to take place from Tuesday. These include dairy, meat, fruit and vegetables, seeds and flowers.

Andreas Georghiou has run a high-quality grocery shop in central London for 30 years. His wide range of specialty products come from all over Europe.

"Ultimately, our business relies on freight from Europe. Most people are unaware that the majority of their food throughout the year, up to 80 percent during winter, 60 percent during summer, come via the Channel Tunnel," said Georghiou.

In the past, he could order produce from Europe in the morning and have it delivered overnight without checks. But delays have now occurred due to the latest border checks on imports.

"The delays are caused by companies not having the resources to have staff that are dedicated to doing the paperwork. To do just paperwork for pasta which should be nice and easy took 16 pages my end and eight pages their end, and customs documents and a customs agent to get them in," Georghiou said.

The government says these checks are essential to prevent serious economic damage to the UK through a potential animal or plant disease outbreak, like foot and mouth disease.

However, merchants and suppliers believe that such checks would not only make the whole process more complicated with higher costs, but also make the price of products more expensive to consumers.

"The government hasn't really provided all the information that businesses need in order to assess those costs. However, we've been speaking with one producer, a provider in Poland who moves sausages and chickens from Poland into the UK, and they estimate that over the course of the next year, it's going to cost them an additional between one million and 1.5 million pounds. And those are costs that are going to flow straight down to the consumer," said Marco Forgione, director general of the Institute of Export and International Trade.

UK’s new post-Brexit border checks on imports from EU to lead to rising living costs

The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities' separatist activities are self-deceptive attempts, and they will not hinder the unstoppable trend toward China's reunification, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said on Tuesday.

Recently, Taiwan's "foreign affairs department" issued a statement protesting the mainland's condemnation over the Taiwan authorities' bribery of Guatemalan leaders and officials in exchange for political support.

Commenting on that at a regular press conference in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said, "The facts and evidence on DPP authorities' 'dollar diplomacy' with Guatemala are clear and solid. Guatemala's former president openly admitted that he had received bribery from the Taiwan authorities in exchange for maintaining so-called 'diplomatic relations' with Taiwan. Last year, Taiwan's hospital project in Guatemala was involved in a corruption case. Relevant Guatemalan officials were put into jail. This is just one example of the Taiwan authorities' 'dollar diplomacy.' No matter how angrily they protest or try to deny it, the fact that they sought political support through 'dollar diplomacy' will not change."

"Around the world, 183 countries have established diplomatic ties with China. That proves the DPP authorities' reckless pursuit of 'Taiwan independence' and secession to be futile and self-deceptive. Whatever the DPP authorities does, it will not shake the one-China principle, and will not hinder the unstoppable trend toward China's reunification. We hope that Guatemala and the very few other countries will come to recognize where the trend leads and make the right decision soon," he continued.

DPP authorities' secession attempts futile, self-deceptive: spokesman