The UK government has asked stakeholders for feedback on its proposal to suspend import taxes, or tariffs, on a range of goods in order to help mitigate the impacts of the Middle East conflict – and BALI has submitted a response on behalf of its members.
Agri-food, fertilisers, and kerosene are all being lined up for tariff suspensions, with a view to helping consumers manage further price rises caused by the conflict and resulting supply chain disruption.
Following our member survey on the Middle East conflict, summarised in the latest edition of Landscape news, we know that the cost of fertiliser is a key concern across the landscaping sector, whether fertiliser is being sold, used, or consumed through plant purchases.
And so, in our response to government, we strongly supported the plan to remove tariffs on a range of fertilisers for one year, keeping costs lower for consumers and supporting demand for landscaping goods and services in turn.
However, we were also clear in saying that suspending fertiliser tariffs should be a small part of a much broader effort to support business in response to the conflict, given our members called for action on fuel duty and other fiscal policies as well as softer measures like advice.
The BALI policy team will continue to monitor the impacts of the Middle East conflict on members, including trough our annual Lay of the Land survey, and lobby the government for a supportive policy response.