Will the Windsor Framework survive contact with commercial reality?
The Windsor Framework, which is supposed to remove the trade barrier down the Irish Sea, could potentially become un-usable by British firms. What’s emerging is an un-intended consequence of the requirement for special labelling indicating goods are ‘Not for EU’.
Anecdotal evidence suggests that, rather than using the labelling system, retailers (and possibly food service) will instead choose to have all deliveries go through the red lane for full customs checks. This is because they want to retain the flexibility to move those goods on into the Republic of Ireland if demand is flat in the north.
If this happens, full checks and export health certificates will be needed and the Windsor Framework will be rendered un-usable by meat companies. There’s also a question over what compensation traders will get for the extra cost to do business. While the extra costs to ship retail packaged goods are covered by the Movement Assistance Scheme, wholesale carcasses and meat products are not. BMPA is currently pressing the Government for answers ahead of the looming 1 October deadline.
