The UK government has published a new global tariff that will replace the European Union’s common external tariff regime on January 1, 2021.

The UK voted to leave the European Union in 2016, with its formal departure taking place on January 31 this year. A formal transition period, during the common external tariff remains in force, comes to an end on December 31.

Industry body Leather UK lobbied on behalf of tanners, footwear and finished leathergoods manufacturers in the UK to have all import tariffs for leather removed. After the publication of the new global tariff list, Leather UK said: “We are pleased to report that we have been successful in eliminating those import tariffs. This means the elimination of import duty on a range of leather imports.”

Examples include bovine crust, import tariffs on which will go from 6.5% to zero and equine wet blue and crust, tariffs on which will go from 5.5% to zero. Importers of finished bovine leather will see tariffs fall from 6.5% to zero and companies bringing in finished sheep leather will see a reduction from 3.5% to zero.