A major UK mussel exporter has suffered losses o around £150,000 after French customs rejected three recent shipments.
While raising fears of renewed post-Brexit trade tensions. Industry figures suspect the move may be politically driven, coming months after the UK’s reset trade deal with the EU aimed at easing border friction.
Offshore Shellfish, a family-run business based in Devon, said three of its four latest lorryloads of mussels were rejected at Boulogne-sur-Mer port in northern France, the main entry point for British seafood exports. Each consignment had to be destroyed at the company’s expense.
“We’ve sent hundreds of loads since Brexit and never had one turned back,Now, suddenly, three have been rejected. It feels subjective, inconsistent and impossible to plan around,” said commercial director Sarah Holmyard.
The company farms blue mussels on ropes in Lyme Bay, exporting most of its stock to the Netherlands and Belgium, where they are sold in restaurants as moules-frites.
Holmyard said French officials claimed the mussels were not properly washed, despite being harvested from class A waters, the EU’s highest cleanliness rating.
Since Brexit, exports of live shellfish to the EU have faced strict sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) checks, creating costly delays for UK producers.
A new SPS deal announced in May by Prime Minister Keir Starmer aims to remove many of these barriers by 2027, but exporters say enforcement has become even tougher since the agreement was unveiled.
Holmyard suspects political motives behind the sudden rejections,The UK government said it was not aware of any surge in rejected shipments but is in talks with EU counterparts to “maintain trade whilst protecting biosecurity.”
After discussions with French officials and Dutch partners, Offshore Shellfish has been told inspections may soon be interpreted more flexibly — but the company remains cautious.
“We can’t afford more failed loads,” Holmyard said. “It’s not just a financial hit, it’s food waste and reputational damage.”
