Additional controls on imports into the EU & NI

Affecting importers based in Northern Ireland & the EU.

The European Commission has introduced new import controls from 1^st January 2023 to 31^st December 2023. These additional controls apply to certain organic products imported from specific countries, as detailed in the table below.

For the products identified in the table there are requirements for the EU border control posts (BCP) to test a percentage of those products as detailed in the table.

This additional sampling will be in place for those specific imports into the EU & Northern Ireland (NI) , so if you are an importer in NI, (or within the EU), and import any of the affected products into EU or NI, they may be sampled and tested by the BCP.

There are no additional actions that you need to take other than continuing to inform the BCP in advance of each consignment’s arrival.

If you do not import any of the affected products into EU or NI then these additional controls will not affect you.

Country	Product	CN codes	Sampling percentages
China	Ginger	0910 11 00 2006 00 10	10%
China	Pumpkin (seeds)	0709 93 90 1207 99 96 1212 99 95	10%
China	Soy (bean, cakes, meals, expeller, etc.)	2304 00 00	10%
China	Tea (different)	0902 20 00 0902 40 00	20% (2)
India	Soy (bean, cakes, meals, expeller, etc.)	2304 00 00	10%
India	Curcuma/turmeric	0910 30 00 1302 19 70	20% (3)
Paraguay	Chia seeds	1207 99 96	10%
Peru	Quinoa	1008 50 00 1104 29 89	10%
Sierra Leone	Cocoa (beans etc.)	1801 00 00	10%

 

The above applies only to EU and NI imports from those countries. Defra has not indicated that they intend to implement the same controls for GB. However, please note the controls Defra communicated in 2021 remain in place for certain imports to GB from Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Russian Federation, Moldova, Turkey and China. Note: as regards Ukraine the requirements for testing of imports still applies but the additional measures imposed on third country control bodies in Ukraine were suspended by Defra last year.