On Sunday, UK Ministers reportedly announced that they intend to remove the VI-1 certification requirements on all wines imported into Great Britain. With this announcement the ministers have also pledged to effectively eliminate post-Brexit red tape for the nation’s wine importers.
According to reports, the industry applauded ministers’ decision to eliminate the need for VI-1 import certificates, which officials said would save British wine consumers more than £130 million per year.
Removing these regulations will scrap the red tape and make wine importing to the United Kingdom as smooth as possible.
According to industry estimates, this change will lower the cost of wine for consumers in the long run. That would allow wine consumers across the country to savor the same, quality wines, from around the world at a lower cost. As per industry analyst estimates, the VI-1, on average, added 10p ($0.14) per bottle imported into the UK.
Victoria Prentis, Food and Drink Minister, stated that the British wine sector has increasingly been delivering exceptional wines from all around the world at outstanding value. Cutting this unnecessary red tape will strengthen the position of British wine businesses on an international scale while they continue to flourish.
Prentis added that the United Kingdom is already considered a global hub when it comes to the international wine trade, supporting numerous jobs across the country. Removal of the necessity of import certifications will reinforce this position and would be a clear benefit as it would allow the industry the flexibility it needs to determine its own regulations.
Ranil Jayawardena, International Trade Minister, stated that it is wonderful that British wine consumers will no longer have to pay for needless bureaucracy whenever they purchase a bottle of wine.
Trade is vital for the country's economic development and leveling. The government of the UK is making it more easier for British consumers to buy high-quality products from across the globe, including wine, through its trade agreements, and the government is eliminating international trade obstacles to give British businesses even more opportunities to thrive abroad. Jayawardena added.
Source credit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/red-tape-cut-for-wine-imports-to-save-british-wine-lovers-130m-a-year
