UK Businesses Stop Shipping to Northern Ireland Due to Updated EU Rules

By Evans Momodu
2 minute read


Small British businesses have halted sales to Northern Ireland and Europe due to additional administrative burdens imposed by new EU customs regulations.

Many firms lamented their inability to meet the new requirements, which include extensive paperwork, product numbering, and the need for an "authorised representative" within the EU or Northern Ireland.

The risk of penalties, including fines, has led business owners without access to legal advice to err on the side of caution and stop exports altogether, one businesswoman explained.

The General Product Safety Regulation (GPSR), designed to enhance product safety and protect online shoppers, has inadvertently caused some British businesses to cease deliveries to Northern Ireland and the EU.

Despite the new rules not taking effect until Friday, December 13, companies have already pulled their shipments in anticipation.

Northern Ireland, although no longer part of the EU since Brexit in January 2020, remains subject to EU rules as a member of the single market. This arrangement was established to avoid a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Business owners like Johanna Haughey-Lewis, the founder of Weirdstock bedding, express frustration and a sense of helplessness.

Haughey-Lewis, who is originally from Northern Ireland, noted; "I don’t feel like I had a decision. You get fines if you don’t comply with this... I just don’t have the resources to comply, at least not at this stage."

Many businesses have been caught off guard by the changes, learning about the new requirements only recently through social media posts from other entrepreneurs.

Several owners complained that obtaining clear, detailed, and relevant information about the new rules has been challenging, adding to their uncertainty and difficulty in compliance.
Source: Sky news