Exports

Subject to intelligence gathered on the targeted market, the UK can request a questionnaire as a first step to trigger the market access process. A questionnaire can also be sent on the initiative of the importing country.

Questionnaires are used to carry out an initial desk-based risk assessment of the UK veterinary system. It usually covers the health status of livestock with special regard to exotic animal diseases, any aspects of the general health and the environmental situation, which may pose a risk to the importing Third Country. The legislation on live animals and products of animal origin; the organisation of the competent veterinary authority and its inspection and the assurances it can give regarding compliance are also covered.

As described above, the questionnaire covers all aspects of the UK veterinary system, which involves liaising across governments and industry. The market access team take an active role in co-ordinating where appropriate the responses in partnership with Defra. Accuracy and timing are of essence in keeping momentum and discussions open with the targeted country. 

Subject to the outcome of the questionnaire, the Third Country may request an audit visit. The overall objective of audit is to verify and assess information previously supplied in the questionnaire.  During the audit, the Third Country competent authority will gather evidence on compliance with national and EU legislation on animal health, animal welfare and food safety.  The scope of audit is determined by the auditing country.

Here, our market access work consists mainly co-ordinating the audit visits in partnership with Defra and others. This is achieved through the development of an audit itinerary, which include identification, and preparation of premises to be audited.  AHDB may also contribute in providing answers to follow up questions.

A typical audit visit may include:

• Opening meeting with the UK competent authority and key government departments
• visit to a farm
• a visit to the territorial body of the competent authority
• authorized competent authority laboratory
• inspection of a processing enterprise
• closing meeting with the UK lead competent authority and others

Subject to outcome of the audit visit, the auditing country may recognize the UK veterinary system as equivalent in term of animal health, animal welfare and food safety.   However, there may be situations where full equivalence is not recognized and the Third Country may seek additional assurances.  This is translated as an additional requirement for export to that particular country, and UK exporting business have to comply.  This may be additional requirement for microbiological testing, or additional processing steps, for example.

Discussions at the technical level take place at this stage and usually involve AHDB senior management, UK Competent Authorities (Defra, FSA, etc) and industry to gather evidence on how the additional requirement can be achieved.  All additional requirements must be included in the Export Health Certificate and protocols.

Once access is agreed in principle, the next stage involves drafting an Export Health Certificate (EHC) and its supporting documentation. Every consignment to the importing country must be accompanied by an EHC.

The EHC is an official document confirming that animal health standards and regulations have been met, and the food produced to the agreed standards, so that food and animal products may be exported. The EHC must be completed and signed by an Official Veterinarian who approves the product and its suitability for export.

To facilitate the provision of EHC, UKECP work in partnership with Government across the interested livestock parties.  Its key functions include drafting export documents and supporting information, supporting inward/outward mission visits and maintaining specimen EHC documents; gov.uk/export-health-certificates

A new digital online application service for Export Health Certificates (EHC) has been launched. This new online service replaces the current manual PDF service.

From Winter 2020, EHC Online will have fully replaced the current system for applying for and certifying EHCs. Over 70+ of the most popular EHC are being made available online across a number of commodity groups, including: meat, poultry, fish, germplasm, hides and skins, dairy. From 21 August 2020, all application forms that are live in the new EHC Online system must be made via the service rather than emailing a PDF form to APHA. Note that this will only apply to the forms which are live in EHC Online. 

Available EHC’s can now be applied for via the .gov.uk form finder pages. For further information please click here. 

Some third countries require site-specific approval. This means that the exporter must obtain site-specific approval from the importing country and be listed before the export can start.

The table below lists some of the countries that require establishments to obtain site-specific approval before export. A link to the web page where the list of approved establishments is also provided.

Some importing countries may also require the approval of all sites in the food chain, including cold stores, whereas others only require the approval of the slaughter/cutting sites only. Several Third countries such as the Republic of South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan and Canada only require the UK establishments to be listed on the Food Standards Agency before export begins. 

 It is important to check any  requirement for an establishment to be listed on a third country website. Usually, this information can be found in the associated Notes for Guidance for that country at: gov.uk/export-health-certificates