Brexit costs with importing from Europe to the U.K

I think this forum is going to be very helpful over the next couple of years in recommendations for local nurseries until things settle down. High prices for maples is only going to go one way for sellers. 'No sell'.

 

Yes D but how many more trees do we all need now personally thinking the never ending list is just getting larger and larger. For me myself i have more than enough to keep me happy and busy with the constant care and attention they need to survive and flourish.
Especially when one is getting on a bit :) would hate to think of having to dig all my trees up and move to another location , which in the coming years might just become a reality who knows?? Will still have the trees but maybe on a smaller manageable scale. Yes the prices will certainly stop many smaller scale nurseries from importing trees that's for sure , and even specialist dare one say rarer cultivars will be out of reach of many except the avid collector ? All this brexit mess needs years to sort out and settle down and come to a more manageable solution because the dutch are certainly going to struggle in the coming years if they keep on with these high prices. Lets face it the UK is a big market for any exporting country to lose trade with and vice versa.

 

You are spot on there M. It’s now in the several thousand cultivars and so many that are identical or as near as identical to those that have already been produced. Hence the other thread I started.
So perhaps we older members should be promoting quality rather than quantity on the forum.
But regarding Brexit and plant movement, I always try to have a positive attitude and I believe that things will improve as it is in the EU and the UK interests for that to happen.
Thats as much politics I will get into on the forum...

 

The behaviour of freight forwarders that also act as Customs agents are hugely impacting the cost of moving goods in and out of the U.K. in relation to business to business transactions. The customs declaration charge for a single consignment into the U.K. has increased from £50 pre-brexit to £80/£90 per consignment post brexit..there is some serious hay-making going on whilst the sun is shining! This charge is not applicable to postal imports under £900 and applies to b2b transactions. However, both U.K. and European businesses buying from the other territory will incur this new additional increased charge on every single consignment. That consignment might include one item or 10000 items..so small business, buying in smaller quantities more frequently will be importing more consignments and so will incur many multiples of the £80/90, adding to their cost of sale or increasing prices.

There are various VAT and Duty things we need to understand better about post brexit “distance sales” of goods to consumers. I will post some factual points later in the week on these. Low value sales (under £135) via post can be done quite simply..however I have no idea about the plant passport regulations and any associated costs.

 

Some interesting reading on the regulations for importing plants and seeds post brexit

Import plants and plant products from the EU to Great Britain and Northern Ireland

 

Wow, having read through, it’s now virtually impossible to privately import.

The below is from the RHS site and they make the suggestion of working with a U.K nursery who may want to help.
It does state that an individual can register as an importer and needs to be able to facilitate inspection of the imported plants, what a hassle.
Just wondering if the Maple Society would be interested in collaborating with a U.K nursery who offers mail order.
Perhaps we vote or use a poll to find out which cultivars we want to see available in the

Brexit
The UK has now left the EU and there are new restrictions (Plant Health (EU Exit) Regulations 2020) for bringing plant material into Great Britain (England, Wales and Scotland) from the EU.

Northern Ireland (NI), unlike GB, will remain as part of the EU single market and will therefore continue to follow EU plant health regulations for imported plant material. This means that plant material entering NI from the EU must have an EU plant passport. Movement of plant material from NI to GB, however, will require a phytosanitary certificate (PC); the EU plant passport is no longer valid in the UK.



Bringing plants to the UK from abroad
Imported plants and plant products are the main pathway of entry for invasive pests and diseases. Plants for planting such as, ornamental trees, pot plants and cuttings are the highest risk.

The UK is free of many pests and diseases that are present in other parts of Europe and beyond. It is crucial that we protect our gardens, crops and environment from harmful pests and diseases. If you intend to bring material into the UK, it is important that you comply with the relevant plant health regulations.

Even plant material that appears healthy may be harbouring pests and diseases. For example, some hosts of Xylella fastidiosa, a bacterial pathogen causing devastating outbreaks in Europe, may not show symptoms for months or even years following infection.

What you can bring in from the EU
Although it is possible to bring in plants and plant material for personal use, the new import system for plants is tailored towards professional operators. The new plant health regulations now prevents the public from bringing in most plants and plant products in their personal baggage.

Prior to Brexit, private individuals could bring some plant material into the UK from other EU member countries providing that the material was accompanied with an EU plant passport and providing it met some specific requirements. As the UK has now left the EU, the EU plant passport is no longer valid in GB. Post Brexit you must have a phytosanitary certificate (PC) to import plant material from the EU. This includes almost all plants for planting, most seeds, cut flowers and tuber vegetables such as potatoes from the EU.

How to import material from the EU
Individuals wanting to import plants for planting from the EU for personal use can do so by registering, free of charge, as an importer via the government's PEACH system.

As part of the import process, the individual importer would need to obtain a phytosanitary certificate for the material they are importing. In addition, from 1 January through to 31 December 2021, all plants and plant products eligible for import from the EU (termed High Priority Plants) are also required to undergo import pre-notification to the government via PEACH, and will need to have document checks and a physical health check completed at an inland place of destination (PoD). The individual importer can register a private home address as a PoD, alternatively, it may be possible to make an arrangement with a local garden centre or nursery, that may be willing to act as a PoD. Here is further information about registering as a PoD.

There are costs associated with the importation process related to applying for phytosanitary certificates, checks and inspections that an individual importer is expected to meet.

To find out more about importing plant material from the EU, please use the following link.

Obtaining a phytosanitary certificate (PC)
A PC is issued from the plant health authority of the country where the plant material originates from to guarantee that the material has been officially inspected, is free from pests and diseases and meets the legal requirements for the material to enter GB.

To apply for a PC you must register with the government’s eDomero system for plants or plant products or with the Forestry Commission for wood or wood products. In order to register for an eDomero account you need to provide a ‘Client ID’ which must be given to you by your local APHA plant health and seeds inspector (PHSI).

What you can bring from third countries outside the EU
Most plants and plant material originating from outside of the EU (i.e. third countries) must also have a phytosanitary certificate for importation. Regulated plant material from third countries also requires pre-notification (as with EU goods).

You can find more information on the rules around bringing plant material from third countries on the Defra website.

If you’re not sure whether the item you want to bring to GB is regulated and requires pre-notification, check the list of plant species by import category or contact the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).

Plants that will not need a phytosanitary certificate (PC) for import
There are some plant products that are considered low risk and that can be imported into GB from the EU and third countries without a PC, these include processed and packaged products (e.g. salads, sandwiches, frozen material), composite products (e.g. nut or seed butters that contain processed fruit or vegetables), and the following fruits/leaves;

• Pineapple
• Kiwi fruit
• Coconuts
• Citrus
• Kumquat
• Bitter orange
• Persimmon
• Durian
• Cotton (bolls)
• Curry leaves
• Banana and plantain
• Mango
• Dates
• Passionfruit
• Guava

Prohibited plant material
Imports of some plant material from third countries is prohibited. A licence is required from APHA to import, move or hold prohibited material. Licences are not available to the public and are only issued for the following purposes:

• official testing
• scientific research
• educational purposes
• trials
• testing new varieties of plants (varietal selection)
• breeding

The full list of plants and plant products from third countries that are prohibited can be found in Schedule 6 of the government’s EU Exit 2020 plant health regulations. Check this link for more details and Schedule 6.

UK plant passport scheme
The UK now has a new plant passport scheme. Plants previously moved around GB on an EU plant passport, will now need a UK plant passport for movement. The issuing of plant passports is generally only applicable to professional operators (e.g. nurseries and garden centres) that are moving and selling plants to other professional operators.

A nursery or garden centre will not need to pass on a UK plant passport to a customer if they are buying plants for personal use at a retail premise. The one exception to this rule is if a customer is purchasing a plant via an online sale. In this instance, the retailer must supply the purchaser with the plant passport for traceability purposes.

Buying plants via the internet
Plants ordered from overseas via the internet are subject to the same phytosanitary requirements as plants imported via other trading routes.

We encourage gardeners to help protect the UK from unwanted pests and diseases by always buying plants from reputable UK nurseries and garden centres and to avoid ordering plants from websites where the origin of the plant material is unknown. This helps to ensure that any plant material purchased is not harbouring any potentially damaging pests and diseases.

The governments’ Plant Health and Seed Inspectorate are encouraging members of the public to report any suspicious or unsolicited plant products by email to PlantHealth.Info@apha.gov.uk

 

Good afternoon everyone, I wanted to post this after visiting my local Hillier Gardens at Ampfield an hour ago. I think everyone knows it.
Anyway whilst there, I chatted with a member of staff about all the labels on their plants and trees showing the British flag. To cut a long story short, everything was priced as you would expect at a pre Brexit price, as all home grown.
After seeing M @ROEBUK posting last night about imported trees with highly inflated prices, I thought that this must be the way forward. Grow and buy from home....
Now this is not anti any other country in anyway whatsoever, but I believe that all gardeners from every country should support their own growers. This makes so much sense to me, but I know some will disagree and that is fine.
So anyway, whilst at Hilliers my wife saw and liked a Suminagashi in a 5 ltre pot that was a lovely shape. It was priced at £24.99, but I was given a £5 discount, so it was under £20. Not bad at all IMO.
So the moral is, 'buy local'. At the moment anyway...

 

Bargain D. Very nice.

There is a wholesale grower in the Malvern hills called John Richards..no retail sales. He grafts and supples some unusual JM on a fairly big scale, they can be found in many independent nurseries..plain white glossy label with a description of the tree habit and a barcode..no branding. I have found them good quality trees and as I said unusual cultivars.

 

Wouldn’t it be great if one or two of the trade only nurseries were interested in supplying forum members, perhaps mail order only if no interest in visitors and they could specify a minimum order value?

 

Just to show how you can train the tree to give space under and maximise planting.
Here’s my Suminagashi and under planting

 

Have a look at Miles Maples online. Miles is now also a committee member of the MS and getting very interested in the more unusual and rare cultivars..
Miles Japanese Maples

 

I'm pretty sure Miles ships mail order. I know he has a stock of pentaphyllum now, worth checking out. Not sure he's equipped to do his own grafting. Great guy, and really cares about quality too.

I thought Hillier's only did wholesale? One of the world's great nurseries, fantastic you live near there D, I know they open the gardens up sometimes. The MS has a tour planned there, with all of the Covid cancellations I'm not sure when it's for now!

"Buy British" is a great sentiment, because it amounts to "Buy Local", which is both ecologically and economically important. Unfortunately it isn't always practical beyond the theoretical in the UK, where for example consumers are accustomed to low-price produce from Spain. A lot of French eat the same stuff, especially if they shop at Aldi or Lidl, but the other chains (and of course local markets) have gotten quite good at representing local producers.

 

Yes he does E.

 

I prefer the 'buy local' slogan, as that refers to us all across the whole planet. But as you say E, not always practical.
Regarding Hilliers, it has a very nice retail nursery also. Never a problem with any plants bought there in my experience.
The gardens are open every day now, and often very busy with school visits as well. It is great to see all the children excited about trees, our eldest granddaughter loved it there.
I see that the MS visit to Hilliers is still on the cards for October. Might be a great way for so many to meet up at last. So if anyone else reads this, do get your Maple Society membership soon, as it is only for members.

 

The Maple Society visited Hillier Gardens aka SHHG (where I have Volunteered for 23 years but have not yet met Acerholic) on
Saturday 9 OCT 2021.

* We did see Acer sinopurpurascens and as I said to Hugh Angus at the time, the tree is featured on this Forum already.

* We did get to see the Acer pentaphyllum planted in memory of Peter Gregory. I think it was donated by committee member Miles.

* We did not get to see the maple which is dedicated to the Maple Society in TW640 37853 23613 or H53 R13. So I went back the next day to record it for this forum, as below. It was measured by Volunteer Mike Harris on 14 OCT 2021
- Height = 15.7m, DBH @ 1.5m = 34.4cm, Spread = 10.2m
On 11 AUG 2009 its Height = 9.2m.

The tree is watched over from the adjoining shrubbery by

and there is a seat for you to contemplate the tree with this view

N.B. I don't know if the above images will work nor how to edit them if they don't, so fingers crossed. I guess 'Upload a File' is an alternative to images from Windows 10 Pictures?

 

Good morning, sadly due to some rather unfortunate circumstances I could not attend the Hilliers meeting. But I saw that it was a lovely sunny day so I hope everyone had a lovely time.
Regarding your photos, they did not come out, so I have attached a link to help you post them.
Attach photos and files

D

 

N.B. This starts by duplicating the earlier post of unsuccessful images

The Maple Society visited Hillier Gardens aka SHHG (where I have Volunteered for 23 years but have not yet met Acerholic) on
Saturday 9 OCT 2021. It was a fine day ably lead by our President Roy Lancaster and SHHG Curator David Jewell.

* We did get to see Acer sinopurpurascens and as I said to Hugh Angus at the time, the tree is featured on this Forum already.

* We did get to see the Acer pentaphyllum planted in memory of Peter Gregory. I think it was donated by committee member Miles. The plant is near the centre of the landscape picture.


* We did get to see a maple adopted by me, nickname H, and I read out the dedication. The tree is situated just north of the centre circle of the long Centennial Border. Former SHHG Director Wolfgang Bopp had advised me the tree is not truly evergreen at SHHG.

* We did not get to see the maple which is dedicated to the Maple Society in TW640 37853 23613 or H53 R13. So I went back the next day to record it for this forum, as below. It was measured by Volunteer Mike Harris on 14 OCT 2021
- Height = 15.7m, DBH @ 1.5m = 34.4cm, Spread = 10.2m
On 11 AUG 2009 its Height = 9.2m.



The tree is watched over from the adjoining shrubbery by


and there is a seat for you to contemplate the tree with this view

I think SHHG has four Acer x freemanii 'Autumn Blaze' and just for your curiosity the following is one in the car park area. (The label broke in my hands!). This is also a tree colouring up more quickly on the cooler northern and eastern sides.

If you have any maple questions I suggest you address them to the Maple Society and Hugh Angus.

 

brexit is drammatic for Italy maple lovers.every year Crug Farm was present in the Lucca flower show,not this year..my friend Phil for received 5 quesrcus by Mallet Court have spend 500 euro in italian tax and 40 days of quarantine...however plants after quarantine were still in life because Quercus is a very strong genius!