About Brexit

Brexit added customs and plant health paperwork to UK–EU potato trade from 1 January 2021 and closed the EU market to seed potatoes from Great Britain. It had little effect on the size of the UK crop, which still depends mainly on weather, or on the UK's reliance on frozen fries from Belgium and the Netherlands.

Not yet. Seed potatoes from Great Britain have been banned from the EU since 1 January 2021 because the UK was not granted equivalence for its plant health rules. The planned UK–EU SPS agreement, which the government aims to apply from mid-2027, is expected to allow this trade to resume.

Belgium supplied about 60% and the Netherlands 33% of UK fries and frozen potato imports in 2024/25. Fresh potato imports, around 107,000 tonnes in that season, came mainly from Israel, the Netherlands and France.

Yes. Since 1 October 2023 certified GB seed potatoes can move to registered seed growers in Northern Ireland with a Northern Ireland Plant Health Label under the Windsor Framework. Ware potatoes still need an inspection and a phytosanitary certificate.

It is a planned agreement on food, plant and animal health rules that would create a common SPS area, with Great Britain following relevant EU rules. It would remove most phytosanitary certificates and routine checks. Negotiations were still ongoing in November 2026, and the UK government aims for it to take effect in mid-2027.