Catherine Barnard on Times Radio: Food price fears as Brexit import charges revealed

Via the BBC
The government has revealed how much companies will have to pay to import foods from the EU due to Brexit.
Small imports of products such as fish, salami, sausage, cheese and yoghurt will be subject to fees of up to £145 from 30 April, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).
The Cold Chain Federation said the new charges would hit food prices.
The government said the fees would pay for "world-class border facilities".
The fee, known as the "common user charge", will apply to animal products, plants and plant products entering the UK from the EU through the Port of Dover and the Eurotunnel at Folkestone.
It will be charged per type of good imported - the "commodity line" - and capped at £145 for mixed consignments. Individual products will face charges of up to £29. It will apply to goods deemed low, medium and high risk.
The Cold Chain Federation's chief executive Phil Pluck said the fee would have to be passed on to "either the EU importer, the smaller UK retailer, or the UK consumer".

[@larstenfaelt1859]

You are trading under WTO rules now and imports from EU need to be checked in similar ways as other imports. So its an active decision by UK to add costs to consumers known when setteling the agreements with EU. A clear consequence of Brexit!

[@stevebell3070]

The Common User Charge is for recouping the cost of the facility only. The checks on documents and goods will be done by Port Health Authorities, who will be charging on top of the CUC. So the cost will be more than £145. So the actual cost be in some cases will a lot more. Seems many don't seem to understand this.

[@nicks4934]

Open borders to rank meat.

[@Purple_flower09]

It will be better for everyone if the small producers in the EU don't bother sending their stuff to the UK.

[@johnmunro4952]

So the winners here are the big supermarket companies as they can absorb this cost and put the smaller companies out if business.

[@michaelogrady1002]

Whats so hard to get your head

[@user-gn7cm6db2d]

Agh the cost of sovereignty never mind how sad.

[@RF_Burns]

Have you ever worked for a supermarket??? Supermarkets import goods by the 20-ton container load. They do not import a single consignment of 25kg of cheese, that would be ridiculous! Small independent supermarkets get their food from the wholesaler who also imports by the container load. At these volumes the added cost will be insignificant!

[@cosak23]

taking back control :))))))

[@Sjb-on5xt]

Looks like the UK is turning right back with tit for tat measures. Why should the EU get a free ride? The EU is charging the UK to export into the EU, and the EU export much more than the UK does vice versa.