No more reason to wine: Government cuts Brexit red tape on wine imports
The government has today confirmed it will cut the Brexit red tape that costs wine importers coming into the UK some £130m a year.
The new legislation will come into effect at the beginning of next year and will ease trading between the UK and the European Union – which accounts for half of the country’s wine imports.
The sector had been calling for the move for some time, and has left Wine and Spirit Trade Association boss Miles Beale overjoyed with the result.
“This week marks the final hurdle in a two-year battle to remove unnecessary and costly inherited EU red tape on wine imports,” he said.
“It is an historic moment for the UK’s world-leading wine trade and will be cause for celebration for wine producers across the world.”
In stripping VI-1 certificates from the trading process, businesses are in a better position to navigate a tough winter, said food and drink minister Victoria Prentis – as pandemic guidance leaves hospitality in the cold.
“By removing this pointless red tape, our businesses are in a stronger and more competitive position than before,” she said.
“Ending the requirement for import certificates is an important measure in supporting this vital industry, and a clear benefit of our now having the freedom to determine our own rules.”