A thriving domestic meat supply chain relies on a thriving export trade.

Anything that acts as a barrier to overseas trade has a detrimental effect on UK trade. Higher costs associated with post Brexit non-tariff barriers are often passed on to UK consumers as well as EU customers.

There’s no doubt that Brexit has had a dampening effect on trade with our nearest and biggest market, the EU. While larger companies have been able to adapt to the heightened red tape, and absorb the extra costs, smaller meat processors who rely on sending small consignments of product along with many others (‘groupage’) have been forced out of the export market.

It’s all very well having the ability to set our own standards and rules, but we’re already in danger of not keeping up with what’s changing in the EU, which we must reflect in UK law if we want to keep on trading with the bloc.

BMPA keeps very close relations with our counterparts in the EU so we get advanced warning of changes that could impact our members. Our trade experts sit on numerous committees and liaise with government departments to explain the complexities of the meat supply chain and the impacts that policy decisions and new free trade agreements have on our members and, by extension, British consumers.