From August 2025, costs for the inspection of animal and plant products during importation may be set to rise by 27% in the UK, which is the subject of much debate.

Shoppers can ill-afford further increases in food prices and UK importers argue that any additional import fees cannot be absorbed by the industry.

According to several reports, the government’s Defra and Animal & Plant Health Agencies are hoping to phase in price increases to recover the increasing expenses associated with inspections at UK ports, following the current pricing structure being frozen during the past five years.

In line with the government’s Border Target Operating Model (BTOM), HMRC has implemented several new processes for animal and food products since last year, as part of its new approach to sanitary and phytosanitary controls.

UK food and plant importers argue that increased fees would not only impact EU food imports, but also hinder the UK’s ability to grow its own food, since a large amount of young plants and seeds used to grow fresh produce is imported from Belgium or the Netherlands.

Many would also argue that importing food and plant products has become expensive and cumbersome due to delays at borders.

At this stage, the increases are not officially confirmed, but we will advise further if and when they are.