According to the Cabinet Office, a new Border Target Operating Model has been released and sets out border controls for trade to better protect the UK against biosecurity and security threats.

The model introduces a new global regime for security, including bringing in controls on imports from the EU for the first time and using Brexit freedoms to simplify import controls on goods from across the globe.

The Government says that these controls will keep the UK safe by defending against plant and animal diseases from abroad, protecting vital agricultural industry and food supply chains and assuring trade partners of the quality of UK exports.

Importantly, it will also set border controls to protect against illegal imports, including firearms and drugs.

Increasing efficiency

By taking an intelligent, risk-based approach, the model removes duplication and reduces the volume of data and paperwork required from businesses when importing goods.

The Cabinet Office says that this will save businesses around £520 million per year compared to another import model that would have been introduced in 2022.

The Government has worked with industry to test new technologies in a border setting, including distributed ledgers for sharing data, smart seals and GPS trackers.

Pilot testing found these technologies could simplify processes across the supply chain, transforming the UK border through reduced costs and administrative burdens, making importing and exporting easier and cheaper for businesses.

In addition to the Border Target Operating Model, the Single Trade Window is another flagship border development.

Under this system, information will only need to be submitted by traders once and in one place, removing complexity and duplication from the system.

Border controls

“Our Border Target Operating Model will ensure more efficient trading for businesses, protect against biosecurity threats and further crack down on illegal imports such as firearms and drugs,” said Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office.

“By making maximum use of data and new technologies, our innovative yet risk-based approach is key to delivering a world-class border system.”

“Protecting UK biosecurity through effective border controls on the goods that we import is so important,” added Lord Benyon, Minister for Biosecurity at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

“These border controls safeguard the food that we eat and protect animal and plant health across the UK.

“The Border Target Operating Model sets out our innovative system of border controls, which will continue to uphold UK biosecurity and support trade with other countries.”