Official Statistics

Plant Health – international trade and controlled consignments, 2018-2022 – experimental statistics publication

Published 19 October 2023

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These statistics present an analysis of international trade in plant and plant commodities[footnote 1] (including live plants, fruit, vegetables and cereals) – covering both the financial value and the physical scale (mass) of this trade. This release also presents an analysis of the notifications of controlled commodities – i.e., where imports are declared to plant health authorities in order for checks to be undertaken to ensure that traded goods meet required standards. Data cover the period 2018 to 2022 (Forestry Commission data cover 2018/19-2022/23). Geographical coverage is specified at the start of each section.

Key findings

  • The overall value of trade in plants and plant commodities increased over the period 2018-2022 as did overall net mass, but to a lesser extent. Such trends were not always linear due to the volatile nature of the trade, which can be affected by climate events, pest and disease and other factors.
  • Between 2018 and 2022 the value and net mass of exports of forestry material increased whilst the value and net mass of exports of plants and planting material decreased. These trends continued between 2021 and 2022 after changes to the collection of data covering exports to the EU.
  • In 2022, around 60% of the total value and 65% of the total net mass of trade in plants and plant commodities was derived from trade with the EU. The majority of EU trade was imports; accounting for around 87% of EU trade value and 74% of EU net mass.
  • In 2022, over 479,000 consignments were notified to the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI). This was an increase from over 146,000 in 2020 and over 246,000 in 2021 and was driven by the phasing in of plant health controls on imports from the EU in 2021 and 2022.
  • In 2022/23, over 3,400 consignments of controlled material were notified to the Forestry Commission, a decrease from over 4,500 in 2021/22.

Contents

Key findings

Introduction

Experimental statistics

Trade in plants and plant products

Controlled Commodities7

Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate

Forestry Commission

Glossary

Introduction

Plants are environmentally, economically, and socially important, providing a vital contribution to our food and timber supply and to the rural economy. Plants also perform an essential ecosystem service in shaping the landscape and supporting biodiversity and have been linked to improved health and wellbeing[footnote 2].

The globalisation of trade has facilitated an increase in the volume and diversity of plants and plant commodities which enter the UK. This trade generates economic value but also needs to be regulated (controlled) due to the risk of pest and disease[footnote 3].

Hence plant health legislation[footnote 4] controls the import and movement of certain plants, trees, seeds and organic matter - such as soil - and certain plant products, including fruit, potatoes, vegetables, cut flowers, timber, foliage and grain.

The analysis below explores both the overall UK trade in plants and plant commodities, and also the trade in regulated plant health and forestry commodities which informs the inspections undertaken by the Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) and the Forestry Commission (FC) to prevent plant pests and diseases from entering England and Wales, and, for Forestry Commission, Scotland[footnote 5].

Please note that the three datasets explored in this publication are not directly comparable. There are key differences in how each dataset is compiled and these are outlined further in the accompanying quality and methodology report.

Experimental Statistics

This statistical release is intended as a contribution to increase the wider understanding about trade in these commodities and about plant health. It is designed to provide stakeholders, internal and external to government, with information on the patterns of trade over time for a specific set of commodities. The primary aim is to facilitate discussion and aid decision making around biosecurity.

The release is not intended for the purpose of drawing inferences as to the effectiveness of plant health and forestry inspectorates.

New statistical releases are classified as experimental statistics in order to secure feedback from users – for example about the long-term need for the information (the user value) and the technical fitness for purpose (the quality). The 2023 publication will be the final release to retain the ‘experimental’ label. Future releases will be released as official statistics however feedback from users is continually welcome.

If you have any comments or feedback on this release – or about other needs for formal statistics in policy areas of trade and biosecurity - please contact

sam.grant@defra.gov.uk

Sam Grant,
Plant Health Statistics,
Horizon House,
Deanery Rd,
Bristol
BS1 5TL.

Guidance on Experimental Statistics

Impact of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and the effect of EU exit on trade in plants and plant products

It is not currently possible to ascertain what the impact of the coronavirus pandemic and EU exit has been on trade in plants and plants products. This is because trade in plants and plant products is often volatile, due to climate and other factors, but also because changes are still ongoing, for example, changes to data systems and the full implementation of the Border Operating Model

The Office for National Statistics have published reports looking at the impacts of EU exit and the coronavirus on UK trade in goods which provides a high-level picture of trade throughout 2020 and 2021: The impacts of EU exit and the coronavirus on UK trade in goods

For plants and plant product which require regulatory control the impact of EU exit, particularly imports from the EU to GB, will be ongoing as the UK phases in its checking regime: Imports of plants and plant products from the EU to GB

Trade in plants and plant products

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) compiles statistics on commodities physically leaving and entering the UK, traded with both European Union (EU) Member States and non-EU countries. Non-EU trade is collected from customs declarations. Until 31 December 2020 EU trade data was collected via Intrastat which covers VAT-registered businesses whose annual value of arrivals and/or dispatches exceeded a given exemption threshold[footnote 6]

For goods moving from 1 January 2021, statistics covering exports from Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales) to the EU have been compiled directly from customs export declarations made according to the requirements of the Taxation (Cross Border Trade) Act. Intrastat survey returns, however, continued to be collected for goods exported from Northern Ireland to the EU, under the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol. Both the GB to EU customs export declaration data and Northern Ireland (NI) Intrastat export (dispatch) data were incorporated into the overall UK to EU export dataset. As a result of the changes and differences outlined above, there was a break in the timeseries for published UK to EU export statistics from January 2021.

During 2021 the Intrastat survey continued to operate for all UK (GB and NI) imports from the EU, to mitigate the effects of staging customs controls, and to comply with the Northern Ireland Protocol. From 1 January 2022 imports into Great Britain (GB) (England, Scotland and Wales) from the EU are no longer covered by Intrastat. Customs declarations are used for imports of goods into GB from the EU and this information is used in combination with Intrastat data on imports into Northern Ireland from the EU, to create the overall UK’s imports dataset.

Throughout 2021, the introduction of temporary Staged Customs Controls (SCC) allowed GB importers of non-controlled EU goods the opportunity to defer submission of the full customs declaration for up to 175 days after the movement of goods. This had a reducing effect on the number of received customs declarations for EU imports in 2021, most notably in the first few months of the year. It is not possible to distinguish which customs declarations are associated with SCC and therefore remove or adjust the trade statistics.

The Office for National Statistics papers investigating the impact of changes to HM Revenue and Customs data collection: Impact of trade in goods data collection changes on UK trade statistics: 2020 to 2022, Impact of trade in goods data collection changes on UK trade statistics: further update on Staged Customs Controls

Although not collected for plant health purposes the HMRC data does allow us to examine the patterns of trade for a sub-section of commodities, i.e., raw and simply processed plants and plant commodities, and to group these into categories. The categories covered in this release are:

  • Plants and planting material. This category includes bulbs, plants for planting, forest tree seed and cut flowers.
  • Food and crops. This category includes fruit, vegetables, cereals, nuts, herbs and spices.
  • Forestry: This category includes timber (unprocessed or simply processed: sliced, planed or chipped), packing cases, casks and barrels.

The UK leaving the EU and the subsequent transition period, along with the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, supply chain disruption and global recession, have caused higher levels of volatility in trade statistics in the past two years. Comparing 2022 with equivalent 2017 data provides comparisons of recent UK trade estimates with the most recent “stable” period.

Table 1: Value of trade in plants and plant commodities, 2018 to 2022, £ million

Sector 2018 2019 2020 2021(b,r) 2022(p,b) Value change 2018 to 2022 Percentage change 2018 to 2022
Imports              
Plants and planting material 1,003 1,005 1,012 1,164 1,643 640 63.8
Food and crops 9,742 9,987 10,572 10,194 12,100 2,358 24.2
Forestry 2,070 1,986 1,945 3,152 3,245 1,175 56.8
Total 12,815 12,979 13,529 14,510 16,987 4,173 32.6
Exports              
Plants and planting material 123 119 96 72 64 -58 -47.5
Food and crops 1,065 1,342 1,272 869 1,372 308 28.9
Forestry 186 189 175 348 392 206 110.5
Total 1,374 1,651 1,543 1,289 1,829 456 33.2
All trade              
Plants and planting material 1,126 1,124 1,108 1,236 1,708 582 51.7
Food and crops 10,806 11,330 11,844 11,063 13,472 2,666 24.7
Forestry 2,256 2,176 2,120 3,500 3,637 1,381 61.2
Total 14,188 14,629 15,072 15,799 18,816 4,628 32.6

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. More information on sectors can be found in the glossary at the end.
  3. b indicates a break in the time series. In 2021 the break related to changes in the recording of exports, in 2022 the break related to changes in the recording of imports.
  4. r indicates revised data.
  5. p indicates provisional data.
  6. Numbers may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

Table 1 shows the total value of trade in plants and plant commodities, by sector, between 2018 and 2022.

  • The total value of trade in plants and plant commodities has shown year-on-year increases between 2018 to 2022. Only exports of plants and planting material decreased in value (-47.5%), a trend seen across the time period for this sector.

  • The value of forestry imports and exports remained high in 2022 following increases in value between 2020 and 2021. The export value of these commodities more than doubled from £186m in 2018 to £392m in 2022.

  • Proportionally the increases in the value of trade in plants and planting material and in forestry were considerably higher than the increase in the value of food and crops however food and crops remained the largest sector, accounting for 71.6 per cent of all trade value in 2022, a decrease from 76.2 per cent in 2018.

Table 2: Net mass of trade in plants and plant commodities, 2018 to 2022, ‘000 tonnes

Sector 2018 2019 2020 2021(b,r) 2022(b,p) Value change 2018 to 2022 Percentage change 2018 to 2022
Imports              
Plants and planting material 358 361 310 356 488 131 36.5
Food and crops 13,077 12,729 13,974 13,166 13,364 287 2.2
Forestry 4,521 4,669 4,642 5,121 4,595 74 1.6
Total 17,955 17,759 18,926 18,643 18,447 492 2.7
Exports              
Plants and planting material 48 50 34 25 22 -26 -54.1
Food and crops 2,487 4,095 3,426 1,960 3,134 647 26.0
Forestry 761 684 484 873 1,074 313 41.2
Total 3,296 4,828 3,944 2,858 4,231 935 28.4
All trade              
Plants and planting material 406 411 344 380 510 105 25.8
Food and crops 15,564 16,824 17,400 15,126 16,498 934 6.0
Forestry 5,281 5,353 5,126 5,994 5,669 388 7.3
Total 21,251 22,587 22,869 21,501 22,677 1,426 6.7

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. More information on sectors can be found in the glossary at the end.
  3. b indicates a break in the time series. In 2021 the break related to changes in the recording of exports, in 2022 the break related to changes in the recording of imports.
  4. r indicates revised data.
  5. p indicates provisional data.
  6. Numbers may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

Table 2 shows the total net mass of trade in plants and plant commodities, by sector, between 2018 and 2022.

  • The net mass of imports only increased slightly (2.7%) between 2018 and 2022 however the net mass of imports of plants and planting material, the smallest sector, increased by 36.5%.

  • As with the value of trade in plants and plant products (table 1), only exports of plants and planting material experienced a decrease in net mass over the time period (-54.1%) meaning that the net mass of plant and planting material exports in 2022 was less than half the net mass exported in 2018.

  • With the exception of plants and planting material, increases in export net mass were proportionally higher than for imports however export net mass as a whole only accounted for 18.7% of total net mass.

Figure 1: Changes in international trade of plants and plant commodities, 2018 to 2022

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. Data for 2022 are provisional.
  3. The collection of EU import data changed in 2022.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

Table 3: Value of UK-EU trade in plants and plant commodities, 2018 to 2022, £ million

Sector 2018 2019 2020 2021(b,r) 2022(b,p) Value change 2018 to 2022 Percentage change 2018 to 2022
EU Imports              
Plants and planting material 811 819 849 884 1,334 523 64.5
Food and crops 4,670 4,796 5,107 4,453 5,655 985 21.1
Forestry 1,628 1,551 1,546 2,579 2,763 1,136 69.8
Total 7,108 7,166 7,503 7,916 9,752 2,644 37.2
EU Exports              
Plants and planting material 96 89 77 54 46 -50 -52.3
Food and crops 888 1,097 994 666 1,131 243 27.3
Forestry 147 145 140 311 344 196 133.3
Total 1,132 1,331 1,212 1,030 1,521 389 34.3
All EU trade              
Plants and planting material 907 908 926 937 1,380 473 52.1
Food and crops 5,558 5,893 6,101 5,119 6,786 1,228 22.1
Forestry 1,775 1,697 1,687 2,890 3,107 1,332 75.0
Total 8,240 8,497 8,714 8,946 11,273 3,033 36.8

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. More information on sectors can be found in the glossary at the end.
  3. b indicates a break in the time series. In 2021 the break related to changes in the recording of exports, in 2022 the break related to changes in the recording of imports.
  4. r indicates revised data.
  5. p indicates provisional data.
  6. Numbers may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

Table 3 shows the value of commodities that are imported into the UK from the EU and commodities that are exported from the UK to the EU, by sector.

  • The total value of trade in plants and plant commodities between the UK and the EU stood at £11,273m in 2022 of which 86.5% was imports.

  • The value of imports showed a year-on-year increase over the time period whilst the value of exports was more variable. Imports as a proportion of all trade reached their highest level of the time period in 2021 (88.5%).

  • In 2021 and 2022, food and crops accounted for a lower proportion of the value of imports from the EU than in other years of the time period (56.3%-58.0% compared to 65.7% to 68.1%).

Table 4: Net mass of UK-EU trade in plants and plant commodities, 2018 to 2022, ‘000 tonnes

Sector 2018 2019 2020 2021(b,r) 2022(b,p) Value change 2018 to 2022 Percentage change 2018 to 2022
EU Imports              
Plants and planting material 293 308 266 287 418 126 42.9
Food and crops 6,376 5,609 6,472 5,888 6,334 -42 -0.7
Forestry 3,988 4,138 4,060 4,415 4,246 258 6.5
Total 10,657 10,055 10,798 10,590 10,998 341 3.2
EU Exports              
Plants and planting material 41 42 30 21 20 -21 -52.2
Food and crops 2,164 3,437 2,584 1,631 2,777 613 28.3
Forestry 678 594 436 808 1,017 339 50.0
Total 2,883 4,073 3,050 2,460 3,813 931 32.3
All EU trade              
Plants and planting material 334 350 296 308 438 104 31.3
Food and crops 8,540 9,046 9,056 7,519 9,111 571 6.7
Forestry 4,666 4,732 4,496 5,224 5,263 597 12.8
Total 13,540 14,128 13,848 13,050 14,812 1,272 9.4

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. More information on sectors can be found in the glossary at the end.
  3. b indicates a break in the time series. In 2021 the break related to changes in the recording of exports, in 2022 the break related to changes in the recording of imports.
  4. r indicates revised data.
  5. p indicates provisional data.
  6. Numbers may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

Table 4 shows commodities that are imported into the UK from the EU and commodities that are exported from the UK to the EU, by sector.

  • Overall, the net mass of trade in plants and plant commodities between the UK and the EU was 14,812 thousand tonnes in 2022.

  • At the sector level, the net mass of exports of plants and planting material broadly followed the pattern seen for value. The export net mass of forestry commodities increased but by a much smaller proportion than the value (50.0% compared to 133.3% as shown in table 3).

  • The net mass of food and crops accounted for 61.5% of total net mass in 2022 compared to 63.1% in 2018.

Charts 1a and 1b: Distribution of UK-EU trade in plants and plant commodities, 2018 to 2022

1.a. Value

1.b. Net Mass

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. Data for 2022 are provisional.
  3. 2022 represents a break in the time series due to changes in the recording of imports.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

  • Imports accounted for between 83.3% and 96.7% of trade value and between 74.7% and 95.5% of the net mass of UK-EU trade in each sector during the period 2018 to 2022.

  • The proportion of EU trade value that was imports was highest for the sector plants and planting material, increasing from 89.4% in 2018 to 96.7% in 2022. The corresponding import net mass for this sector also increased, from 87.8% in 2018 to 95.5% in 2022.

  • The proportion of EU trade value that was imports was lowest for the food and crops sector at 83.3% in 2022 compared to 84.0% in 2018. The proportion of net mass that was imports for this sector decreased from 74.7% in 2018 to 69.5% in 2022.

Table 5: Value of UK-non-EU trade in plants and plant commodities, 2018 to 2022, £ million

Sector 2018 2019 2020 2021(r) 2022(p) Value change 2018 to 2022 Percentage change 2018 to 2022
Non-EU Imports              
Plants and planting material 193 186 163 281 309 117 60.7
Food and crops 5,072 5,191 5,465 5,741 6,445 1,373 27.1
Forestry 442 435 399 573 481 39 8.8
Total 5,706 5,812 6,027 6,594 7,235 1,529 26.8
Non-EU Exports              
Plants and planting material 27 30 19 18 18 -8 -30.3
Food and crops 176 246 277 203 241 65 37.1
Forestry 39 44 35 38 48 9 24.3
Total 241 320 331 259 308 67 27.6
All non-EU trade              
Plants and planting material 219 216 182 299 328 109 49.7
Food and crops 5,248 5,437 5,743 5,944 6,686 1,438 27.4
Forestry 481 479 434 610 529 48 10.1
Total 5,948 6,132 6,358 6,853 7,543 1,595 26.8

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. More information on sectors can be found in the glossary at the end of this document.
  3. (r) indicates revised data.
  4. (p) indicates provisional data.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

Table 5 shows the value of commodities that are imported into the UK from countries outside of the EU and commodities that are exported from the UK to these non-EU countries, by sector.

  • The total value of non-EU trade increased by 26.8% between 2018 and 2022 with import value increasing by the same amount and export value increasing by 27.6%. Proportionally, the largest increase in total value was in the smallest sector of plants and planting material (49.7%).

  • Between 2018 and 2022 the value of non-EU imports of plants and planting material increased by 60.7% whilst the export value decreased by 30.3%. Exports of plants and planting material was the only trade flow to see a decrease in value over the time period. The largest increases in the value of imports in this sector were seen in 2021 and 2022.

  • The value of non-EU imports of food and crops increased year-on-year over the time period and accounted for 89.1% of all non-EU import value in 2022.

Table 6: Net mass of non-EU trade in plants and plant commodities, 2018 to 2022, ‘000 tonnes

Sector 2018 2019 2020 2021(r) 2022(p) Value change 2018 to 2022 Percentage change 2018 to 2022
Non-EU Imports              
Plants and planting material 65 53 44 69 70 5 7.5
Food and crops 6,700 7,120 7,501 7,278 7,030 330 4.9
Forestry 532 531 582 706 348 -184 -34.6
Total 7,298 7,703 8,128 8,053 7,448 150 2.1
Non-EU Exports              
Plants and planting material 7 8 3 3 2 -5 -65.5
Food and crops 323 658 842 329 357 34 10.6
Forestry 83 89 49 65 57 -25 -30.6
Total 413 755 894 397 417 4 1.0
All non-EU trade              
Plants and planting material 72 61 47 72 72 0 0.4
Food and crops 7,024 7,778 8,343 7,607 7,387 364 5.2
Forestry 615 620 631 771 406 -209 -34.0
Total 7,711 8,459 9,021 8,450 7,866 155 2.0

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. More information on sectors can be found in the glossary at the end of this document.
  3. (r) indicates revised data.
  4. (p) indicates provisional data.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

Table 6 shows the net mass of commodities that are imported into the UK from countries outside of the EU and commodities that are exported from the UK to these non-EU countries, by sector.

  • Overall, the net mass of the non-EU trade in plants and plant commodities was fairly stable across the period 2018 to 2022 however there was variability at the sector and trade flow level.

  • The net mass of non-EU exports of plants and planting material experienced the largest percentage change with a decrease of 65.5% over the time period. For the last three years the export net mass in this sector has remained at very low levels.

  • The net mass of both non-EU imports and exports of forestry commodities experienced decreases of 34.6% and 30.6% respectively between 2018 and 2022. The fall in overall net mass for this sector after 4 years of consecutive increases saw 2022 trade at the lowest level of the time period.

Chart 2a and 2b: Distribution of UK-non-EU trade in plants and plant commodities, 2018 to 2022

2.a. Value

2.b. Net Mass

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. 2022 figures are provisional.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

  • Imports accounted for the majority of trade between the UK and countries outside of the EU in terms of both value and net mass.

  • Imports accounted for between 87.9% and 96.6% of all non-EU trade value in each sector in 2018. In 2022 imports as a proportion of the trade value in a sector had increased for plants and planting material (6.5 percentage points) but decreased slightly for forestry (-1.0 percentage points) and remained stable for food and crops (-0.3 percentage points).

  • For net mass the proportion of non-EU trade that was imports increased by 6.4 percentage points between 2018 and 2022 for plants and planting material however forestry and food and crops remained fairly stable (-0.7% and -0.2% respectively).

Figure 2: Changes in trade of plants and plant commodities between 2018 and 2022, by broad region of trade

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. Data for 2022 are provisional.
  3. The collection of EU import data changed in 2022.

Source: Overseas Trade Data, HMRC

Controlled Commodities

The Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) implements and enforces plant health policy in England and in Wales (on behalf of the Welsh Government). The Forestry Commission (FC) implements and enforces plant health policy in England and Scotland, and in Wales via Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

PHSI and FC carry out inspections of controlled plant materials, including plants for planting. The controls of such materials differ according to the species - and what quarantine organisms they may carry – but may include phytosanitary certificates, plant passports and/or physical inspection. More detailed information covering the activities of the inspection services is available in the annual Multi Annual National Control Plan reports[footnote 7].

Under EU legislation plants, fruit, vegetables, and plant material from outside the EU fall into 3 categories: ‘unrestricted’, ‘controlled’, and ‘prohibited’ material. Plant passports facilitate the movement of controlled commodities within the EU area whilst inspections of relevant businesses are carried out ‘in field’, generally between 2 and 4 times per year. Commodities imported from outside of the EU area need to be declared on entry to the EU and can then move freely across the EU area. In December 2019 the EU introduced new legislation pertaining to plants and plant products. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 and its Annexes replaced the Annexes of Directive 2000/29/EC[footnote 8]. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2072 covers more plants and plant commodities than the previous legislation.

Now that the UK has left the EU new legislation is in place[footnote 9] and, following the end of the transition period (31 December 2020), there are new processes for importing plants and plant products, including wood and wood products, from the EU. These are detailed in the Guidance on importing and exporting plants and plant products from 1 January 2021

Under the new UK legislation plants, fruit, vegetables, cut flowers, soil and other regulated objects (for example, machinery) fall into 5 categories of phytosanitary control:

  • ‘prohibited’ material you can only bring into Great Britain if a scientific research license or derogation is obtained;
  • ‘prohibited (pending risk assessment)’ material you can only bring into Great Britain if risk assessed by Defra (exclusions apply);
  • ‘regulated and notifiable’ material you can only bring into Great Britain if accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate and advanced notification of landing;
  • ‘regulated’ material you can only bring into Great Britain if accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate. After applicants complete a customs entry, a small number of these consignments may need advanced notification on CHIEF (Customs Handling of Import and Export Freight).g;-
  • ‘unregulated’ material you can bring into Great Britain without a phytosanitary certificate or advanced notification.

A small number of commodities have been deregulated and no longer require a phytosanitary certificate[footnote 10]

Great Britain (England, Scotland, and Wales) has adopted a phased approach to plant health controls for plants and plant products imported from the European Union (EU). This phased approach started in January 2021 and is proposed to be completed in 2024[footnote 11].

Since 1 January 2021, high-priority plants and plant products have required pre-notification and a phytosanitary certificate (PC) when being imported from the EU, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. These include all plants for planting, ware potatoes, some seed for sowing and other plant or forest reproductive material, some wood and wood products and used agricultural or forestry machinery. Since 1 January 2022, notification of import has been required for some other regulated and notifiable plants and plant products imported from the EU (except the Republic of Ireland) including growing medium attached to plants, root and tubercle vegetables, some leafy vegetables, some fresh produce (fruit and vegetables), some seeds (in addition to those on the high-priority list) and some cut flowers.

The analyses below focuses on consignments of commodities classed as controlled and originating outside the EU and arriving at points of entry in Great Britain (England and Wales for PHSI, England, Wales and Scotland for FC). These consignments are subject to inspection activities ranging from document checks to physical inspections. The level of checks required for different types of commodities varies but the highest risk commodities are subject to full checks (100 per cent). In addition, emergency measures [footnote 12] can be introduced which may restrict trade due to changes in import requirements.

Controlled commodities are a subset of the trade analysis shown above (which also includes unrestricted commodities), however data are not comparable to that provided by HMRC due to differences in measurement units, geographies and purpose. More information can be found in the accompanying quality and methodology report.

Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate

The Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate (PHSI) is part of the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and implements and enforces plant health policy in England, and in Wales on behalf of the Welsh Government. PHSI carry out inspections of plants, seeds, bulbs, cut flowers, planting materials, fruits, vegetables and some used agricultural machinery.

It is important to note that changes in the number of consignments may be influenced by changes in trade patterns as well as by legislative changes. Factors which can contribute to changes in trade patterns include climate events, changes in market demand, social unrest or change, pest outbreaks etc. Controls may be applied to any number of countries where there is a pest risk but additionally countries may apply self-prohibition if they are aware of a pest issue in their country. Where self-prohibition is applied there are no formal reporting routes and often information cannot be confirmed.

Some key bans thought to have affected imports to the UK were:

  • Ghana: Capsicum L., Lagenaria Ser., Luffa Mill., Momordica L. and Solanum L., other than S. lycopersicum L. were banned from 13/10/2017 until 31/12/2017.
  • Trade in fresh curry leaves was stopped from 26/04/2014 due to countries outside of the EU being unable to meet EU requirements. Israel now fulfils the necessary requirements.

New controls being introduced may also impact trade patterns. For example: - Decision 2014/78 required all imports of Capsicum to become regulated as from 1st Oct 2014. The decision also included the application of controls on some other commodities. - EU Directive 2017/1279 required tomatoes originating from all third countries (outside the EU but including Canary Islands, Ceuta, Melilla and the French Overseas Departments) and pomegranates originating from countries of the African continent, Cape Verde, Saint Helena, Madagascar, La Reunion, Mauritius and Israel to be imported with a phytosanitary certificate. - Decision 2019/523 added controls on fruits of Kiwi, Papaya, Strawberry, Avocado, Rubus, Grapes and used agricultural machinery - Decision 2019/1598 added controls on maize. - Commission Implementing Regulation 2019/2072 implemented on 14 December 2019 as part of Smarter Rules for Safer Food package which increased the scope of regulated material to include all living plant material other than Fruits of Ananas comosus, Cocos nucifera, Durio zibethinus, Musa and Phoenix dactylifera. - Following the departure from the EU, the Plant Health (Phytosanitary Conditions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 implemented on 1 January 2021 amended 2019/2072 increasing the range of exempt material to include fruits of Actinidia, Fortunella, Poncirus, Diospyros, Gossypium, Mangifera, Passiflora, Psidium and fruit and leaves of Citrus and Leaves of Murraya. - There has been self-imposed bans from Thailand, Bangladesh and Vietnam. These can be very limited (for example to one exporter) or more general.

Table 7: Number of controlled consignments, by commodity type, 2018 to 2022

Year Plants and planting material Fruit and vegetables Other commodities Total
2018 27,948 78,758 2,474 109,180
2019 25,777 83,785 3,078 112,640
2020(b) 22,043 120,937 3,131 146,111
2021(b) 124,946 117,960 3,496 246,402
2022(b) 191,483 281,632 6,198 479,313
Value change 2018-2022 163,535 202,874 3,724 370,133
Percentage change 2018-2022 585.1 257.6 150.5 339.0

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. See glossary for information on commodity types.
  3. b: 2020 - EU plant health regulation and official controls regulation were implemented in the EU and the UK on 14th December 2019.
  4. b: 2021 - Following the UKs exit from the EU, GB specific legislation has been introduced and there has been a phasing in of plant health controls. From January 2021 all regulated and notifiable high priority plants and plant products imported from the EU have been subject to plant health controls. Additionally, some commodities have been deregulated.
  5. b: 2022 From January 2022 notification of import has been required for some other regulated and notifiable plants and plant products imported from the EU. More information is provided in the Controlled Commodities section above.

Source: Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate.

Table 7 shows the number of controlled consignments notified to PHSI, by commodity type. - The majority of the increase in notified consignments has followed key legislative changes; in 2020 following the implementation of new EU plant health regulations and in 2021 and 2022 following the end of the transition period of the UK exiting the EU and the phasing in of plant health controls.

  • Since 1 January 2021 high priority plants and plant products imported from the EU have had to be notified to the PHSI. The impact of this can be seen in the increase of controlled consignments in the plants and planting material category where notifications were over 5 times higher in 2021 than in 2020 (124,946 compared to 22,043) and further increased in 2022 (191,483).

  • Following the introduction of the requirement to notify some additional plants and plant products an increase was seen in notifications of fruit and vegetables (281,632 in 2022 compared to 117,960 in 2021) and other commodities (6,198 in 2022 compared to 3,496 in 2021).

Chart 3: Controlled consignments by commodity type, England and Wales, 2018 to 2022

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. See glossary for information on commodity types.

Source: Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate.

  • Between 2018 and 2019, plants and planting material accounted for between 23% and 26% of all notified commodities. This increased to 50.7% in 2021 following the introduction of GB regulations and the phasing in of controls which meant plants and planting material imported from the EU needed to be notified.

  • In 2022 plants and planting material accounted for 39.9% of all notified consignments. This decrease from 50.7% in 2021 reflected the expansion of the requirement to notify imports from the EU to include some plant products from 1 January 2022.

Table 8: Number of controlled consignments, by region of origin, 2018 to 2022

Year Africa Americas Asia Europe Oceania Other Total
2018 59,315 22,980 23,520 1,076 2,289 - 109,180
2019 60,099 26,241 22,990 1,279 2,031 - 112,640
2020(b) 77,825 32,592 32,581 1,186 1,927 - 146,111
2021(b) 88,423 29,453 36,910 90,133 1,473 10 246,402
2022(b) 90,184 31,495 29,101 327,433 1,098 2 479,313
Value change 2018-2022 30,869 8,515 5,581 326,357 -1,191 z 370,133
Percentage change 2018-2022 52.0 37.1 23.7 30,330.6 -52.0 z 339.0

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. Table uses UNSD geographies
  3. Prior to 2021, Europe only included non-EU countries.
  4. Includes records where the origin is unknown or the entry is ambiguous.
  5. b: 2020 - EU plant health regulation and official controls regulation were implemented in the EU and the UK on 14th December 2019.
  6. b: 2021 - Following the UKs exit from the EU, GB specific legislation has been introduced and there has been a phasing in of plant health controls. From January 2021 all regulated and notifiable high priority plants and plant products imported from the EU have been subject to plant health controls. Additionally, some commodities have been deregulated.
  7. b: 2022 From January 2022 notification of import has been required for some other regulated and notifiable plants and plant products imported from the EU. More information is provided in the Controlled Commodities section above.

Source: Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate.

Table 8 shows the number of controlled consignments notified to PHSI, by region of origin.

  • The total number of notified controlled consignments stood at 479,313 in 2022 which reflected the increased requirement for imports from Europe to be notified. Controlled consignments from Europe increased to 90,133 in 2021 and 327,433 in 2022 compared to around 1,200 prior to 2021.
  • Oceania was the only region to show a decrease in controlled consignments over the time period, from 2,289 consignments in 2018 to 1,098 consignments in 2022.
  • Controlled consignments from Africa have shown a year-on-year increase, increasing by 52.0% since 2018.

Chart 4: Controlled consignments by region of origin, 2018 to 2022

Notes:

  1. Data are calendar year.
  2. Chart uses UNSD geographies

Source: Plant Health and Seeds Inspectorate.

  • Notified consignments from Europe accounted for 68.3% of all consignments in 2022 whilst those from Africa accounted for 18.8%. Prior to 2021 consignments from non-EU European countries were captured in the ‘other’ category due to low numbers.
  • Notified consignments from Europe are increasing as the phasing in of GB plant health import regulations comes into force. In 2022, these consignments represented the largest share of trade for the first time.

Forestry Commission

The Forestry Commission (FC) are responsible for inspections of timber, including sawn timber, wood shavings, wood chips, sawdust, controlled firewood[footnote 13] and prefabricated buildings made of wood being imported to England, Scotland and Wales. The Forestry Commission are also responsible for inspections of wood packaging[footnote 14] however this trade is not covered in this release.

Controlled forestry commodities are required to undergo full checks (100 per cent) thus the number of consignments is also the number of inspections.

It is important to note that changes in the number of consignments may be influenced by changes in trade patterns as well as by legislative changes. Factors which can contribute to changes in trade patterns include climate events, changes in market demand, social unrest or change, pest outbreaks etc. Controls may be applied to any number of countries where there is a pest risk but additionally countries may apply self-prohibition if they are aware of a pest issue in their country.

The war in Ukraine was having a major impact on bulk imports of sawn conifer timber from Russia. In the last few months of the 2021/22 financial year these imports were replaced by uncontrolled imports from the EU however in 2022/23 substitution for Russian sawn timber has been less of an issue.

An additional group of commodities are included in the data from 2021/22 onwards. These are wood shavings, wood chips, sawdust and ‘other’ (mainly oak barrel imports) and the measurement unit is kilograms rather than cubic metres. These data have not been included in the charts below but are included in the tables.

Chart 5a and 5b: Controlled consignments by timber type, 2018/19-2022/23

5a Number of consignments

Please note that chart 5b only contains volumes of commodities recorded in cubic metres. From 2021/22, import data also contained entries of new commodities which are recorded in kilograms. These new commodities’ masses are included in the tables below but not in charts as only two data points are available.

5b. Volume of material

Notes:

  1. Data are financial year.
  2. See glossary for information on commodity types.

Source: Forestry Commission.

  • The number of controlled consignments of hardwood fluctuated over the time period but was at its highest level in 2022/23 when 2,264 consignments were notified. This continued an increase first seen in 2020/21 driven by the recovery of hardwood imports from outside the EU and the requirement for EU countries to notify consignments.
  • The number of controlled consignments of softwood had also increased sharply following the introduction of the requirement to notify for EU countries however the number of controlled consignments notified in 2022/23 was at the lowest level of the time period (1,177). Like hardwood imports, the 2021/22 increase was driven by the new requirement for EU countries to notify imports of regulated commodities and by the recovery of softwood imports from some countries outside of the EU.
  • The volume of material (m3) associated with softwood consignments decreased sharply between 2021/22 and 2022/23 and was considerably lower in 2022/2023 than in previous years, 146,708m3 compared to between 325,000m3 and 540,000m3 for other years in the time period.

Table 9: Controlled consignments of softwood, by region of origin, 2018/19 to 2022/23

2018/19 2019/20(b) 2020/21(b) 2021/22 2022/23 Value change 2018/19-2022/23 Percentage change 2018/19-2022/23
Number of consignments              
Africa 4 8 4 7 26 22 550.0
Asia 13 17 13 4 c z z
Oceania 49 63 27 27 35 -14 -28.6
Central and South America 41 41 28 39 44 3 7.3
North America 1,036 860 815 1,043 541 -495 -47.8
Europe 592 503 542 1,411 531 -61 -10.3
Total 1,735 1,492 1,429 2,531 1,177 -558 -32.2
Volume of notified product (m3)              
Africa 200 400 159 341 1,410 1,210 605.0
Asia 392 1,128 986 241 c z z
Oceania 2,629 2,997 1,266 1,156 1,697 -932 -35.5
Central and South America 4,162 3,472 2,634 3,216 3,900 -262 -6.3
North America 53,315 56,189 42,484 64,637 28,962 -24,353 -45.7
Europe 326,675 262,494 351,125 470,899 110,739 -215,936 -66.1
Total 387,373 326,680 398,654 540,490 146,708 -240,665 -62.1
Mass of notified product (kg)              
Africa x x x c 82,980 z z
North America/Europe x x x 1,622,732 5,748,830 z z
Total x x x 1,622,732 5,831,810 z z

Notes:

  1. Table uses UNSD geographies
  2. Data are financial year.
  3. Prior to 2021, Europe only included non-EU countries
  4. b: 2019/20 - EU plant health regulation and official controls regulation were implemented in the EU and the UK on 14th December 2019. .
  5. b. 2020/21 -Following the UKs exit from the EU, GB specific legislation has been introduced and there has been a phasing in of plant health controls. From January 2021 all regulated and notifiable high priority plants and plant products imported from the EU have been subject to plant health controls. Additionally, some commodities have been de-regulated.
  6. x indicates data are not available.
  7. z indicates data are not applicable.
  8. c indicates data are confidential and have been supressed.

Source: Forestry Commission.

Table 9 shows the number of controlled consignments of softwood and the associated volume of material notified to FC, by region of origin.

  • The number of controlled consignments of softwood decreased by 32.2% between 2018/19 and 2022/23. For consignments imported from Europe and North America there was a sharp fall in imported consignments between 2021/22, the highest levels of the period, and 2022/23. For North America this decrease resulted in the lowest number of softwood consignments across the time period whilst for Europe numbers fell back to pre-2021/22 levels despite the introduction, in 2021, of the requirement to notify these consignments.
  • The volume of material notified in cubic metres also decreased for imports from Europe and North America however the volume of material imported in kilograms increased suggesting there were more imports of products such as wood chips, sawdust and bark than seen in 2021/22 and fewer imports of products such as sawn timber, roundwood and firewood.
  • There number of controlled softwood consignments imported from Africa increased to 26 from 4 in 2018/19 and the corresponding volume of material also increased, from 200m3 to 1,410m3. Additionally, 82,980kg of softwood material was imported from Africa.

Chart 6a and 6b: Softwood consignments and volume, by region of origin, 2018/19 to 2022/23

6a Number of consignments

Please note that chart 6b only contains volumes of commodities recorded in cubic metres. From 2021/22 import data also contained entries of new commodities which are recorded in kilograms. These new commodities’ masses are included in the tables below but not in charts as only two data points are available.

6b. Volume of material

Notes:

  1. Data are financial year.
  2. Charts use UNSD geographies
  3. Prior to 2021, Europe only included non-EU countries.

Source: Forestry Commission.

  • Prior to 2021/22 over half of all softwood consignments arrived from North America (57% to 60%) however since 2021/22 the proportion of softwood consignments arrived from Europe has increased, following the introduction of the requirement to notify imports from the EU, and stood at 45.1% in 2022/23 compared to 46.0% for North America.
  • In 2022/23 Europe and North America were each responsible for 45-46% of all notified softwood consignments however the largest share of softwood material consistently arrived from Europe. In 2022/23 the volume of material from Europe decreased to 75.4% of softwood volume compared to 87.1% in 2021/22.
  • The proportion of softwood material imported from North America and other countries outside Europe increased by 6 and 3 percentage points respectively over the time period.

Table 10: Controlled consignments of hardwood, by region of origin, 2018/19 to 2022/23

2018/19 2019/20(b) 2020/21(b) 2021/22 2022/23 Value change 2018/19-2022/23 Percentage change 2018/19-2022/23
Number of consignments              
North America 2,164 1,734 1,411 1,822 1,461 -703 -32.5
Europe/Asia 11 20 9 216 803 792 7200.0
Total 2,175 1,754 1,420 2,038 2,264 89 4.1
Volume of notified product (m3)              
North America 189,544 84,980 83,113 58,670 50,520 -139,024 -73.3
Europe/Asia 793 1,253 443 9,713 37,153 36,360 4,585.1
Total 190,337 86,233 83,556 68,383 87,673 -102,664 -53.9
Mass of notified product (kg)              
North America x x x 30,973 41,584 z z
Europe x x x 0 15,206 z z
Total x x x 30,973 56,790 z z

Notes:

  1. Table uses UNSD geographies
  2. Data are financial year.
  3. Prior to 2021, Europe only included non-EU countries
  4. b: 2019/20 - EU plant health regulation and official controls regulation were implemented in the EU and the UK on 14th December 2019. .
  5. b. 2020/21 -Following the UKs exit from the EU, GB specific legislation has been introduced and there has been a phasing in of plant health controls. From January 2021 all regulated and notifiable high priority plants and plant products imported from the EU have been subject to plant health controls. Additionally, some commodities have been de-regulated.
  6. x indicates data are not available.
  7. z indicates data are not applicable.

Source: Forestry Commission.

Table 10 shows the number of controlled consignments of hardwood and the volume of material, notified to FC, by region of origin.

  • The total number of hardwood consignments increased slightly from 2,175 to 2,264 (4.1%) between 2018/19 and 2022/23 however the volume of controlled hardwood decreased from 190,337m3 to 87,673m3 (-53.9%).
  • The number of consignments imported from Europe increased sharply in the two most recent years following the requirement for EU countries to notify imports from 2021/22. In general, European consignments are smaller than consignments from outside the EU.
  • The volume of hardwood material imported from North America has shown a year-on-year decrease over the time period. The volume of material decreased by 73.3% between 2018/19 and 2022/23, from 189,544m3 to 50,520m3.
  • There was an increase in the mass of material imported in kilograms, this material includes wood shavings, wood chips, sawdust, bark and other wood products rather than sawn timber, roundwood and firewood and was imported from North America and Europe.

Table 11: Controlled consignments of oak and ash timber, 2018/19 to 2022/23

2018/19 2019/20(b) 2020/21(b) 2021/22 2022/23 Value change 2018/19-2022/23 Percentage change 2018/19-2022/23
Number of consignments              
Ash 335 240 131 302 736 401 119.7
Oak 1,562 1,227 1,003 1,246 963 -599 -38.3
Total 1,897 1,467 1,134 1,548 1,699 -198 -10.4
Volume of notified product (m3)              
Ash 11,531 22,128 4,589 12,405 34,921 23,390 202.8
Oak 140,852 38,330 68,310 38,087 31,543 -109,309 -77.6
Total 152,383 60,458 72,899 50,492 66,464 -85,919 -56.4
Mass of notified product (kg)              
Ash x x x 0 0 z z
Oak x x x 5,663 c z z
Total x x x 5,663 c z z

Notes:

  1. Data are financial year.
  2. b: 2019/20 - EU plant health regulation and official controls regulation were implemented in the EU and the UK on 14th December 2019. .
  3. b. 2020/21 -Following the UKs exit from the EU, GB specific legislation has been introduced and there has been a phasing in of plant health controls. From January 2021 all regulated and notifiable high priority plants and plant products imported from the EU have been subject to plant health controls. Additionally, some commodities have been de-regulated.
  4. x indicates data are not available.
  5. z indicates data are not applicable.
  6. c indicates data are confidential and have been supressed.

Source: Forestry Commission. 3

Ash from all third countries became controlled 2021, prior to this, ash originating in Canada, China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, Europe and the USA was controlled. Oak originating in Canada, China, Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Taiwan, Turkey, Taiwan, USA and Vietnam is controlled.

  • Oak and Ash accounted for 75.0% of all controlled hardwood consignments in 2022/23, a decrease from 87.2% in 2018/19. These two species accounted for 75.8% of the volume of controlled hardwood in 2022/23, a decrease from 80.1% in 2018/19.
  • In the years prior to 2022/23 there were consistently more consignments and a greater volume of oak than ash however in 2022/23 the gap in numbers of consignments and in volume between the two species decreased.
  • Both the number of oak consignments and the associated volume decreased over the time period with 599 fewer consignments and 109,309m3 less material in 2022/23 compared to 2018/19. In contrast the number of consignments and the volume of ash increased (120 consignments and 203m3).
  • Oak accounted for 56.6% of controlled consignments of ash and oak, and 47.5% of the volume of material in 2022/23, a decrease of 25.7 percentage points in consignments and 45.0 percentage points for volume since 2018/19.

Glossary[footnote 15]

Commodity:

A type of plant, plant product, or other article being moved for trade or other purpose [FAO, 1990; revised ICPM, 2001]

Consignment:

A quantity of plants, plant products or other articles being moved from one country to another and covered, when required, by a single phytosanitary certificate (a consignment may be composed of one or more commodities or lots) [FAO, 1990; revised ICPM, 2001]. For PHSI data a consignment is a commodity type declared on a phytosanitary certificate. Some phytosanitary certificates will cover more than one commodity type and so the number of consignments declared will be more than the number of phytosanitary certificates.

Controlled plant products:

Plants and plant commodities which are required to undergo checks for pest and disease on crossing a customs border. For countries within the European Union (EU) this means upon entry to the EU while for countries.

Country of origin:

Country where the plants were grown [FAO, 1990; revised CEPM, 1996; CEPM, 1999]

Customs declaration[footnote 16]:

An official document that lists and gives details of goods that are being imported or exported. In legal terms, a customs declaration is the act whereby a person indicates the wish to place goods under a given customs procedure. This legal procedure is described in the Union Customs Code (UCC) (Articles 5 (12) and 158 to 187).

Exports (HMRC trade data):

The country of destination as declared at the time of export. However, where goods can be traded while in transit (e.g., grain and crude oil), this may not necessarily be the final destination of the goods.

Food and crops:

Commodities traded for the primary purpose of human consumption.

Forestry:

Timber and wood commodities but not live trees.

Fruit:

The sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food.

Hardwood:

Timber from broadleaved trees.

Imports (HMRC trade data):

The country from which the goods were originally dispatched to the UK without any commercial transaction in any intermediate country (either with or without breaking bulk in the course of transport). This is not necessarily the country of origin, manufacture or the last country from which the goods were shipped to the UK.

Inspection:

Official visual examination of plants, plant products or other regulated articles to determine if pests are present or to determine compliance with phytosanitary regulations [FAO, 1990; revised FAO, 1995; formerly “inspect”].

Non-EU European countries[footnote 17]:

Countries outside of the European Union but geographically part of Europe.

‘Other’ commodities:

Plants and parts of plants (including seeds and fruits) used primarily in perfumery or pharmacy or for insecticidal, fungicidal or similar purposes.

Phytosanitary certificate:

An official paper document or its official electronic equivalent, consistent with the model certificates of the IPPC, attesting that a consignment meets phytosanitary import requirements [FAO, 1990; revised CPM, 2012]

Plants and plant commodities:

Goods including plants, trees, bulbs, seeds, fruit, vegetables and timber. Commodities are included if they are (1) raw plant products or (2) simply processed, i.e., processed in a manner that would not, in theory, remove the pest and disease risk.

Plants and planting material:

Live or dormant plants, seeds, bulbs or tubers of plants and trees and cut flowers.

Simple processing[footnote 18]:

Simple processing can include peeling, grinding, chopping and debarking but excludes cooking, fermenting and preservation in liquid. For further information please see International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures; ISPM No. 32; Categorisation of commodities according to their pest risk (2009).

Softwood:

Timber from coniferous trees.

Vegetable:

A plant or part of a plant used as food, such as a cabbage, potato, turnip, or bean.

  1. Includes raw products and those that can be defined as ‘simply processed’. Please see the glossary at the end of this document and the associated quality and methodology report for more information. ↩

  2. NHS Forest Evidence. ↩

  3. Plant biosecurity strategy for Great Britain (2023-2028). ↩

  4. Plant health legislation for forestry and [Plant health controls[(https://www.gov.uk/guidance/plant-health-controls). ↩

  5. Plant Health is devolved thus Scotland carries out its own plant health inspections. ↩

  6. Information on methodology and quality for HMRC overseas trade statistics can be accessed at: HMRC trade statistics - policies and methodologies ↩

  7. Food Standards Agency - Multi-Annual National Control Plan ↩

  8. EU Plant Health rules ↩

  9. The Plant Health (Phytosanitary Conditions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020 ↩

  10. Unregulated plants and plant products, Defra ↩

  11. Imports from the EU, Defra ↩

  12. EU emergency control measures by species ↩

  13. Guidance on importing firewood ↩

  14. Guidance on importing or exporting wood packaging material ↩

  15. Some definitions are taken from ISPM 5 Glossary of phytosanitary terms ↩

  16. Union Customs Code ↩

  17. List of non-EU countries ↩

  18. International standards for phytosanitary measures. ISPM No. 32 ↩

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