The UK Government published a draft Border Target Operating Model on 5 April. It sets out a proposed new model for importing goods into the UK from countries inside and outside the EU. The Border Target Operating Model (TOM) sets out a plan to realise the ambition laid out in the 2025 Border Strategy, to create the most effective border in the world. The proposals in the Target Operating Model apply to imports of live animals, germinal products, animal products, plants and plant products from all countries into Great Britain, and will see the implementation of new security and biosecurity controls on imports from the EU.

TOM will be implemented through three major milestones, the first of which importers and their supply-chains should begin to prepare for now:

● 31 October 2023 - The introduction of health certification on imports of medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high-risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU

● 31 January 2024 - The introduction of documentary and risk-based identity and physical checks on medium risk animal products, plants, plant products and high-risk food (and feed) of non-animal origin from the EU. At this point imports of Sanitary and Phytosanitary goods from the rest of the world will begin to benefit from the new risk-based model.

● 31 October 2024 - Safety and Security declarations for EU imports will come into force from 31 October 2024. Alongside this, we will introduce a reduced dataset for imports and use of the UK Single Trade Window will remove duplication where possible across different pre-arrival datasets.

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