UK-EU deal will ‘dissolve’ £60m a year of costs for plant trade, says Angela Eagle

Signing of agreement to smooth movement of food, plants and animals next week will not recoup huge sums firms were forced to spend

The removal of border checks and paperwork on plant imports will “dissolve” £60m of annual costs for the horticulture industry when the UK and EU’s new post-Brexit deal comes in, the environment secretary has said.

Before the UK-EU summit on 20 November, Angela Eagle said she hoped paperwork headaches for importers would “disappear” after the changes, although the move would not help businesses recoup the large sums they spent to deal with border controls.