May 21st, 2020
3 mins
During the current COVID-19 outbreak Government have been working maintain the flow of trade at the border, whilst still ensuring that strict biosecurity standards are upheld.
Specifically, they have been liaising with Port Health Authorities to manage any staffing issues at Border Control Posts (BCPs) as well as agreeing pragmatic solutions to any other problems as they arise.
One change is that BCPs may temporarily accept scanned or electronic copies of health certification from competent authorities or operators in some specific scenarios/circumstances in relation to:
Third country imports
- the measure applies to:
- products of animal origin (POAO) including fish and fishery products for human consumption. It does not include those derived from porcine origin;
- animal by-products (ABP) other than unprocessed ABPs of porcine origin;
- high-risk food and feed not of animal origin (HRFNAO).
- It does not apply to:
- germinal products;
- live animals (other than live fish).
Intra-EU trade:
- this measure applies to Intra Trade Animal Health Certificates (ITAHCs) and journey logs for livestock imports
- Official Veterinarians (OVs) in the UK may also issue ITAHCs and journey logs for livestock exports from the UK to the EU, submitted on TRACES (if applicable) and via email to EU member states.
Note: Any measures taken are only for the duration of the COVID-19 outbreak and Government will confirm when they will be reverting back to usual practices.
Please refer to gov.uk for wider COVID-19 guidance or speak directly to the relevant BCP for further clarification and if you have questions about a particular import.
