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Haggis makers have said that it is now easier to export their wares to Canada than Europe because of red tape around imports entering the bloc. Macsween, a household haggis name, said exports to the EU would be halved this year.

Caledonians in Europe now face missing out on the traditional dish served at Burns Night, held in honour of the Scottish poet and namesake on January 25.

Since post-Brexit arrangements came into effect on December 31, 2020, haggis has faced EU export rules for products of animal origins coming from non-EU countries.

James MacSween, the managing director of the family firm which leads the market, told the Telegraph: “It has become significantly more difficult to do just routine trade into Europe.”

“It is challenging to get stuff into Europe. There’s no denying it.”

He continued: “It’s easier for me to export haggis to Canada. I’ve got experience of Canada. Canada now recognises that I’m an exporter, I’m approved for Canada.”

According to the paper, MacSween will this year export 3.5 tonnes of haggis to Canada – double the amount being sent to Germany.

The Edinburgh-based company exported 3.5 tonnes to Germany in 2020 before post-Brexit red tape kicked in.

Mr MacSween said there was a similar “anxiety” getting the meat-based dish into Northern Ireland, which – as part of the single market – has suffered from similar restrictions on imports.

Northern Ireland currently follows some EU rules to avoid a hard border in the Irish Sea.

That meant that chilled meat products would have been subject to checks and restrictions coming from the rest of the UK.

However, a grace period on chilled meats entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK was extended indefinitely after backlash.

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MacSween – which exported four tonnes to Northern Ireland in December – is still having difficulties with exports because of the new customs rules.

Mr MacSween said: “I don’t see any other haggis producers trying to export. Potentially it is easier for me to export to Canada than export to Northern Ireland.

“There’s a lot of anxiety about getting those pallets into Northern Ireland.”

He added: “The amount of protocol that I have to do to get into France and Germany is the same as I have to do for Singapore and Canada.”

A Defra spokesperson told the Telegraph that haggis was an “iconic Scottish product” and the Government wanted producers to succeed as a popular dish around the world.

They said the UK had been “working closely with the EU” and “encouraging them to act pragmatically” on export health certificates.

However, Defra advises producers to speak to EU border control in advance to ensure their products are able to get through.

Scottish Conservative Ian Duncan, a former minister and deputy speaker of the House of Lords, said: “Something is clearly wrong if a product that met every EU food regulation but a few months ago is suddenly off the menu.”

He added: “It’s almost as if the impasse had nothing to do with food safety.”

According to the Daily Record, in 2016 there was an estimated 120,000 Scots living in EU countries.

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