The UK Government has agreed to support supermarkets in supplying shops in Northern Ireland. The special status of Northern Ireland under the Brexit treaty concluded by the United Kingdom with the European Union threatens to cause problems. Supermarkets have problems adapting to the new processes and changed procedures.
Although Northern Ireland is simply part of the customs territory of the United Kingdom, it also meets the requirements of the European internal market. This has been agreed to prevent a hard border between the Northern Ireland and the EU country of Ireland, which is separated by Brexit.
In the first three months there will be a transitional period during which companies will be able to adapt. Despite this, shortages are already threatening in Northern Ireland supermarkets. In particular, there are problems with fresh products that are normally transported from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.
The top managers of supermarket chains such as as Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Marks & Spencer have written to minister Michael Gove asking for help. The grand snipers are warning that otherwise the situation could get even more serious. They want a long-term agreement with the EU before the end of March, when the transitional period expires.