UK and EU agree deal to remove Brexit checks on food and animal products

What happened: The EU and the UK completed a deal to remove Brexit checks on imports and exports of food and animal products, from sausages and cheese to leather goods and flowers. Key numbers: Expected to come into force in the first quarter of 2028. Trade with Europe has dropped by a third since 2019. Brexit checks were introduced in 2022. Why it matters: The deal is expected to benefit British food exporters and let smaller UK retailers such as delicatessens buy smaller batches of cheese and wines again, which the cost of checks had made impossible.

The EU and the UK completed a deal to remove Brexit checks on imports and exports of food and animal products, from sausages and cheese to leather goods and flowers.

The deal is expected to benefit British food exporters and let smaller UK retailers such as delicatessens buy smaller batches of cheese and wines again, which the cost of checks had made impossible.