Welcome to our Brexit update page

As UK businesses navigate the fine points of detail following on from the EU-UK Trade Agreement, we will keep this page updated with latest information. If you would also like to sign up to our regular newsletter mailing list then please email info@organicherbtrading.com.

Update 16th December 2021

Amendment to EU Regulation will affect our ability to offer certified organic 'unprocessed' products to EU customers.

2021 has been a challenging year for exports but specifically those to the EU. With many other UK businesses, we have navigated the terms of the Trade & Cooperation Agreement (TCA), made changes to our transport arrangements, and undertaken the additional paperwork now required to export to the EU. Now, there is another significant change which will affect our offer to our EU customers from 31st December 2021.  

The EU Commission have voted to remove all six UK certification bodies from Annex IV EC Reg 1235/2008. This removes our ability to export certified organic 'unprocessed' goods, from the UK to our EU customers,.

As of 1st Jan 2022, UK businesses will be able to export organic products to the EU but only products which are deemed 'UK origin'. This means products which have undergone additional processing or significant transformation (blending, powdering, etc) or are cultivated in/originate from the UK. 

Fortunately, we have a well-established manufacturing facility (BRCGS Grade AA certified) which enables us to carry out additional processing and therefore give us greater flexibility in our offer. That said, there  might be limitations for some products where it may not be desirable to carry out further processing. This will be assessed on a product-by-product basis.

We have specialist experience in export, certification and processing and so, feel confident that we will be able to navigate the regulations honestly and effectively. Please contact us directly if you think that you will be affected by this.

Quick summary:

  • This only affects legal organic status i.e., products which require a Certificate of Inspection (COI). If you do not have organic certification as a business, then this will not apply and we can continue to supply to you as normal.
  • This does not affect multi-ingredient products, such as tea blends. 
  • This affects unprocessed single ingredients,  please contact us to discuss.
  • This affects EU customers only. We will continue to export to our non-EU customers as normal. 
  • A handy reference guide prepared by The Soil Association is available here https://www.soilassociation.org/media/21977/exporting-guidance-for-gb-to-ni-or-eu.pdf. This specifies the interpretation of the EU regs by DEFRA and which processes are considered acceptable for export.  

Having spent decades building relationships with our EU customers and upholding our reputation for quality products sold with integrity, it is with great sadness that we update you with this news. That said, we endeavour to find a way to navigate this next challenge and continue our exports to the EU, so please do  not hesitate to contact us with your enquiries. 

Parcel orders update:
Now shipping EU parcel orders with DHL! We have been working hard since January to ensure we can offer our EU customers receiving smaller packages a reliable and effective courier service. We are confident that we are in a good position to be able to navigate the various export requirements. We can provide a Certificate of Inspection (COI)* for any orders that require legal organic status to remain intact.  
 
UK parcel orders: We will continue to ship all UK orders with DPD as per our standard charges.
 
Pallet order update:
We can offer pallet freight to all EU countries with our chosen forwarders or we are happy to discuss liaising with customer’s own forwarders should you wish to arrange your own collection. We can provide a Certificate of Inspection (COI)* for each consignment, endorsed by our certifier Soil Association Certification prior to despatch, if you require the legal organic status to remain intact.
 
*Certificate of Inspection (COI)
We can provide a PDF copy of an endorsed COI by our forwarder prior to shipping. The importer (and first consignee where relevant) will need to be registered as an ‘Organic Importer’ on TRACESNT. The importer has a key role to play in ensuring that the paperwork, clearance and relevant BCP (Border Control Point) are aware of the COI and related organic clearance.