Britain once again delays Brexit border regulations

Physical checks on fruit and vegetables have been delayed several times and have now been pushed out to July 2025

The new checks will add costs of £200m (€237m) to Britain's fruit and vegetable industry, according to the Fresh Produce Consortium, which also warned of higher prices for consumers. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

Britain has delayed implementing post-Brexit physical checks on so-called "medium risk" fruit and vegetables imported from the EU for a further six months, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said on Friday.

Britain voted to leave the EU in 2016 but, such was the scale of the task to untangle supply chains and erect customs borders, that it is only this year setting new rules.