New scheme supporting GB trade with NI soon launches

The scheme establishes a new way to move prepacked retail goods from Great Britain into Northern Ireland
The scheme establishes a new way to move prepacked retail goods from Great Britain into Northern Ireland

A new scheme supporting trade between GB and NI will launch next month, with businesses set to take advantage of the new green lane arrangements.

The Northern Ireland Retail Movement Scheme (NIRMS), which will facilitate the flow of trade between GB and NI, will roll out from 1 October.

Under the scheme, qualifying goods will not require supporting documentation approved by official vet or plant health inspectors to be moved to Northern Ireland.

Food and farming businesses that are selling or facilitating the movement of pre-packaged food for final consumption in Northern Ireland can benefit.

Fruit, vegetables, including ware potatoes, cut flowers and foliage can be moved through the new scheme.

However, plants, plants for planting - including seed for planting - such as pot plants, bulbs and tubers, are not eligible to be moved through NIRMS.

These products will move from Great Britain to Northern Ireland using a Northern Ireland Plant Health Label.

From 1 October, under NIRMS, the level of visual identification checks at borders will be reduced.

Check on consignments will be reduced to 10% from the launch of the new scheme, before being lowered to 8% in October 2024 and reduced further to 5% in July 2025.