Percy Pigs in Ireland hit by Brexit red tape as M&S warns of tariffs

Percy Pigs in Ireland hit by Brexit red tape as M&S warns of tariffs

Percy Pig has emerged as one of the first casualties of Brexit red tape, with Marks & Spencer warning that its famous pink sweets could be hit with new import taxes in Ireland.

The sweets are among the more than 2,000 products sold in M&S food halls that are affected by the “rules of origin” regulations set out in the trade deal struck with the EU. The rules dictate whether import taxes, called tariffs, must be paid based on where a product's ingredients come from and where it has been manufactured.

Steve Rowe, the chief executive of M&S, gave the example of its bestselling Percy Pig sweets, which are manufactured in Germany and brought to the UK before being re-exported to Ireland – a journey that would now be subject to import taxes.

“About a third of the products in our food business are subject to complex rules of origin around componentry and how much has been altered in the UK,” Rowe said. “Depending on that, there is a variable rate of tariff on goods. Tariff-free does not feel like tariff-free when you read the fine print.”

The UK's free trade agreement has spared Marks & Spencer's domestic business from tariffs but would “significantly