Coronavirus (COVID-19) – update 21

22 Apr 2020

Large Business Interruption Loan Scheme

• A UK government-backed loan scheme for large businesses affected by coronavirus has been expanded:
• All viable businesses with turnover of more than £45m will be able to apply for UK Government-backed support;
  Firms with turnover of more than £250 million can borrow up to £50 million from lenders;

This complements existing support including the Covid Corporate Financing Facility and the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme.

For more details on the updated guidance click here

Packaging Waste – requirements for packaging producers

The Environment Agency has announced the following measures to help businesses which failed to meet the 7 April deadline for registration and/or returns:

Condition 1 – registration

• You must apply to register directly with the Environment Agency or through a compliance scheme as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any event by 7 July 2020.
• You must fully document how the impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) affected your ability to register by 7 April 2020 and any measures you have taken in response. You must keep these documents for 12 months and make them available to the Environment Agency on request.

Condition 2 – information provided

You must:

• have taken appropriate measures to provide information that is as accurate and complete as possible;
• supply the correct and complete information as soon as reasonably practicable, and in any event by 7 July 2020;
• document the reasons why the information you provided was inaccurate or incomplete (or both);
• keep these documents for 12 months and make them available to the Environment Agency on request.

For more details see the announcement – click here.

Trade measures on food products – EU summary
The European Commission has shared an informal review of all trade measures on agri-food imposed by trading partners due to COVID-19. The table will be updated by DG TRADE and shared regularly with EU trade associations. Among the measures recorded are:

Trade facilitation:

• Scanned certificates: the growing number of trade partners accepting the reception of scanned copies of phytosanitary certificates includes Hong Kong, Israel, Malaysia, Oman, Philippines, Russia, Salomon Islands, UAE, Ukraine, Argentina (also for organic products), Morocco, Ecuador, Moldova, Thailand, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Panama.
• Postponement of implementation of new requirement: Saudi Arabia has postponed the new Technical Regulation for Nutritional Data Requirements on Foodstuff Labelling.
• Flexibility: United Arab Emirates has waived the need for labelling in Arabic language, and for the need to stamp production date of products, only expiry date is needed.
  
  

Export restrictions:

• Jordan has banned exports of agricultural products, including potatoes, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, eggplants and zucchini.
• Several Eastern European/Central Asia countries members of the EEU have set an export ban on food products like onions, garlic, and turnip until 30 June, including Armenia, Belarus, Kazahkstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

Tariff suspension:

• Qatar has exempted food goods from customs duties for six months, provided this is reflected in the selling price.
• El Salvador has eliminated import tariffs for homogenised vegetables.
• Other barriers: South Africa has warned of the possible need for sanitising of shipments coming from high risk countries.
  For more information see the table - click.
  
  If you have any issues and queries please contact us.