Overview
- The UK government, which announced the change Friday, will pause import duties on selected food and drink until the end of 2028.
- The suspension covers about £2 billion of imports and targets high‑volume items such as pasta, juices, tuna, oranges and peaches.
- Ministers say the move aims to ease household budgets as Middle East tensions threaten supply costs while maintaining support for UK farmers and food security.
- Officials met bosses from Tesco, Sainsbury’s and other major supermarkets on April 1 in a bid to coordinate how any savings reach shoppers.
- Retail groups welcomed the step but warned rising energy, transport and packaging costs could limit pass‑through, with an Ofgem price‑cap rise in July expected to push typical annual energy bills higher.