France rejected UK mussels over inconsistent EU safety checks, disrupting trade despite UK compliance.

French customs have rejected multiple UK shellfish shipments, including three batches of mussels from a Devon exporter, causing significant financial losses and raising concerns over trade disruptions following the UK’s new "reset" agreement with the EU. The rejections, occurring at Boulogne-sur-Mer, appear linked to inconsistent enforcement of EU sanitary and phytosanitary standards despite the UK's compliance with class A water quality rules. While the UK government seeks to resolve the issue through ongoing talks, the delay in implementing the reset deal—expected by 2027—leaves exporters in limbo, threatening livelihoods and export reliability.