The English border is becoming increasingly monitored

As of April 30th, new border checks on medium-risk food and horticultural products from the European Union have come into effect at the British border. This new regulation primarily concerns products of animal or plant origin, such as dairy, eggs, meat, and plants. The checks, both documentary and physical, are implemented based on a risk analysis system devised by British Customs.
For exports, the initial step is to correctly classify the goods using the UK’s Trade Tariff database, which categorizes goods based on risk. Products are classified into high, medium, and low-risk categories, determining the intensity of border checks and the requirement for health certifications and documentation.
For imports from the European Union, importers are required to pre-notify, and exporters need to provide a health or phytosanitary certificate issued by the originating country’s health authority (specific certificates are required for medium-risk animal and plant products, as well as high-risk foods and feeds).
The new customs tariff, ranging from £10 to £29 per product, has sparked debates as it is levied even in the absence of actual checks. This raises doubts about its legitimacy under the Brexit Agreement, which envisages the absence of duties and taxes having equivalent effect to customs duties for European products.
In addition to tariffs, there are administrative costs and fees applied by port health authorities or the Animal and Plant Health Agency for health checks. Furthermore, if goods do not pass through a government management center but through a private one, tariffs are independently determined.