British bangers could be barred from Belfast in six months if there isn’t a Brexit breakthrough, it’s feared.
Firms sent a warning shot to Michael Gove today after he unveiled a “grace period” to allow sausages and other chilled meats to travel freely from Britain to Northern Ireland.
The Cabinet Office minister boasted the meaty treats could keep going to “Belfast and Ballymena” in the new year without needing EU health certificates or other checks.
But the grace period is for six months from January 1.
Supermarkets are separately being given a grace period of three months to move a wider range of goods across the Irish Sea.
When the periods expire, some meat and dairy products may need to undergo checks.
And the British Meat Processors Association fears that unless something changes, some chilled products may not be able to cross the Irish Sea at all from July because “there is no export health certificate in existence” to cover them.
It’s understood UK officials want to agree permanent arrangements on chilled meat exports - including sausages - as part of a broader Brexit deal.
But no trade deal has yet been agreed and Boris Johnson has warned the UK could yet leave without one.
BMPA chief executive Nick Allen said: “The people of Northern Ireland will sleep easier tonight knowing that they will still be able to buy fresh British sausages after January 1.
“Can the politicians please make sure that we are not waiting until late June before they sort out how that trade is going to happen once the 6 months are up.
“We look to them to make sure the certification is in place so that everyone in Northern Ireland and further afield can enjoy our fantastic sausages”.
Hilary Benn, chairman of the Committee on the Future Relationship with the EU, warned sausages "might be prevented any more from moving to Great Britain to Northern Ireland" if there wasn't a plan for next summer.
He asked Mr Gove: “What is going to happen after those dates and how exactly are businesses going to be able to prepare?”
The Food and Drink Federation called for all food movements into Northern Ireland to be covered by a trusted trader scheme.
Chief executive Ian Wright said the announcement was "positive news" but added: "The devil is in the detail.”
Under a deal finalised this week, Northern Ireland remains in the EU’s single market for goods.
That means there need to be regulatory checks and certificates on live animals or animal-based products entering the region from Great Britain.
Mr Gove said this would happen at “border facilities” at the ports of Foyle, Warrenpoint, Belfast and Larne.
Separately, while Northern Ireland will remain in the UK’s customs territory, some EU customs rules will apply too - because there are no border checks on roads to the EU-member Republic.
Traders will need to fill out declarations and pay tariffs on goods from Britain that are deemed “at risk” of entering the Republic of Ireland at a later date.
EU officials will be stationed in Northern Ireland to ensure these Brussels rules after followed after January 1.
Mr Gove insisted this stopped short of Brussels’ demand to have a full-blown “mini embassy” in Belfast.
But DUP Westminster leader Jeffrey Donaldson told MPs: “There should be no barrier to trade between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”
He added: “Safeguarding the union is not a 3 month, 6 month or 3 year project. It is an enduring commitment.”
