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Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs An Roinn Talmhaíochta, Comhshaoil agus Gnóthaí Tuaithe Depairtment o' Fairmin, Environment an' Kintra Matthers

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  • Sanitary and Phytosanitary checks – advice for businesses moving consignments from GB

    Topics:
    • EU Exit, 
    • Moving goods into, out of or through Northern Ireland

    While DAERA currently carry out sanitary and phytosanitary inspections, there will be additional checks and marketing standards requirements on consignments arriving in Northern Ireland from GB.

    If your consignment is subject to an inspection on arrival in Northern Ireland, to assist with the inspection process, businesses are advised of the following:

    1. Check the commodity codes of your consignment in advance

    The recommendation is that businesses, in advance, check commodity codes and the EU’s requirements for the % goods requiring physical inspection for consignments moving from GB to Northern Ireland and where subject to higher levels of physical inspection at SPS Inspection Facilities, consider grouping consignments to minimise the routing of vehicles to the SPS inspection facility and possible delays.

    • Codes can be found at Commodity Codes
    • Required rates for physical inspection can be found at https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2019/2129/annex/I

    2. Place consignments subject to inspection in easy to reach locations

    As well considering amendment of business model to group consignments, it is useful if businesses can place consignments that might be subject to physical inspection closer to the door of a lorry or container, for example, so it is easily accessible on arrival.

    Related content

    • About the Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS)
    • Arriving in Northern Ireland (Reporting for checks, channelling and post movement assurance)
    • Changes to the rules for movement of composite products from GB to NI/EU from 21 April 2021
    • DAERA Event - TRACES.NT Training for Businesses (video)
    • DAERA Guidance for the Collection and Movement of SPS Goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland through Groupage
    • Digital Assistance Scheme (DAS)
    • Guidance on import/export licences required for other agricultural products
    • Instructions for business pre-notifying the arrival of a consignment at a Northern Ireland Point of Entry
    • Live animals, animal by-products and non-retail goods
    • Moving fish and fishery products
    • Moving hay and straw from GB
    • Moving Product - When do you need a Support Health Attestation (SHA)?
    • Moving Products of Animal Origin and Animal By-Products
    • NI Plant Health Label Scheme (NIPHL) Compliance Protocol
    • NI Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS) Compliance Protocol
    • NIRMS Groupage
    • Points of Entry (PoE)
    • Prior to moving NIRMS eligible goods to Northern Ireland
    • Rules of Origin
    • SPS Inspection Facilities
    • The identification of cattle, pigs, sheep and goats imported to, or exported from Northern Ireland, from 1st January 2021
    • The Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme - Simplified User Pathway and Quick Step Guide
    • Timescales for Pre notifying arrival of goods – Q&A
    • Windsor Framework SPS Compliance Protocol NI
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