UK faces higher fruit and vegetable prices for non-EU goods

Published connected 20/05/2025 - 14:08 GMT+2•Updated 14:12

A assortment of vegetables and fruits imported from extracurricular nan EU could go much costly successful nan UK, pursuing UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's promise to align nan state pinch nan EU’s nutrient and portion import regulations.

This could effect fruits specified arsenic pineapples, avocados, oranges and mangoes, arsenic good arsenic much regularly utilized items specified arsenic tomatoes. 

According to nan Fresh Produce Consortium, only 5% of caller nutrient products connected mean are inspected currently. 

At nan moment, EU import checks are much rigorous than those already successful spot successful nan UK. This intends that nan UK whitethorn soon person to woody pinch much separator reddish tape, which could successful move consequence successful value hikes for these nutrient items. 

Nigel Jenney, nan main executive of nan Fresh Produce Consortium, said, arsenic reported by The Telegraph: “Whilst we person resolved nan EU separator position, we person moved nan problem and nan costs to non-EU goods. What we person saved connected 1 hand, we person mislaid connected nan other.

“A batch of that costs aliases a batch of that load now appears to person been applied- taxable to move alignment- to equipment being originated from nan remainder of nan world.”

Less than 5% of citrus fruits coming into nan UK are inspected currently, but pursuing this deal, that fig could emergence to 100%, expanding costs and delays.

What does nan UK presently import?

The International Trade Centre estimates that astir one-third of avocados imported into nan UK past twelvemonth originated from Peru, whereas almost 93% of imported pineapples were from Costa Rica. 

The UK imports astir half of its oranges from South Africa aliases Egypt, whereas astir a 4th of tomatoes travel from Morocco. 

The state besides imports onions, lettuce, doorbell peppers, cucumbers, cauliflowers and broccoli, on pinch exotic vegetables specified arsenic yams, which could besides beryllium affected. 

European consequence and rootlike producers are not yet capable to switch these imports astatine nan required scale, which intends that UK importers will apt person nary action but to cough up nan higher costs and woody pinch nan delays involved. 

Although European farmers could yet works much crops, particularly for citrus fruits, to meet nan higher request coming from nan UK, prices are still apt to summation successful nan short term. 

Similarly, worries astir delays astatine ports and longer hold times earlier products scope shop shelves person been expressed. 

However, nan UK authorities has emphasised that this woody is expected to thief nan EU and UK to sidestep inspections for respective works and animal products, which successful move could little nan prices for those nutrient items and supply greater choices to consumers.