In December 2020 the Government published the 2025 UK Border Strategy with a view to maximising the benefits of leaving the EU and putting in place the right policies for our trade with the whole world.

This includes how we manage imports into our country from overseas. Earlier this year the Government took the decision not to impose the remaining import controls on EU goods. These would have replicated the controls that the EU applies to their global trade, increasing the administrative burdens on business and risking disruption at ports and to supply chains.

In early 2023, the Government will publish a draft Target Operating Model (TOM), setting out how it intends to deliver the 2025 Border Strategy, for consultation with businesses and the border industry. The final TOM will be published later in early 2023.

The TOM will set out our new regime of border controls and create a seamless new digital Border. This new model will harness new technologies, make best use of real-time data and better target risk to reduce friction and costs for businesses and consumers and create a radically simpler yet secure experience for traders moving goods, including plants and plant products, across the UK border. Alongside the development of a world-leading border for trade, this Government remains committed to protecting and enhancing UK biosecurity.

 We will issue more details on how we will build on our summer workshops and further engage with key audiences in the UK and the rest of the world (RoW) to collect feedback when the draft TOM is published. We will ensure that everyone with an interest, including all stakeholders involved in the trade of plants and plants products, has the opportunity to provide feedback ahead of the final TOM publication.