Recommendation 14

The EU introduced import controls on goods entering the EU from the UK at the end of the transition period from 1 January 2021. The UK government originally planned to introduce full import controls on the same date but has subsequently delayed introducing these controls three times.40 It now intends to introduce full import controls in phases between January 2022 and November 2022, beginning with full customs controls and pre- notification of SPS goods in January 2022.41 We queried whether there was a possibility of another delay and the Cabinet Office told us that the current plan and expectation was to start introducing checks from 1 January 2022, although it could not categorically guarantee it.42