The United Kingdom is about to sign the very same trade deal—with the U.S.— that brits voted against. This agreement lowers tariffs on European luxury car imports and largely opens up the European market to US beef and ethanol exports. This proposed agreement aims to boost bilateral trade and investment between the two countries. Yet, as it negotiations continue, it has raised fears among UK farmers that the hormone-treated beef could return to the British market.
This new trade arrangement significantly increases access for US beef exports into the UK. They will increase from around 1,000 tonnes to potentially as high as 13,000 tonnes with a reduced tariff. Right now, US beef encounters a hefty 20-percent tariff when entering the UK. The trade agreement removes tariffs on high-end UK-made cars sold in the US market. In addition to permitting US ethanol shipments to the UK, it opens up the door for UK beef imports.
Ian McCubbine, a beef farmer from Surrey, expressed his concerns about the potential impact this trade deal would have. Most concerning to Sands though, is that this could lead to the reintroduction of hormone-treated beef. The European Union raised safety concerns that led to its ban in the UK since 1989.
“How do we know what they are putting in?” – Ian McCubbine
Chief secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones is still doing his utmost to calm public nerves. In response, Ambassador Lighthizer assured him that the provisions regulating food standards would be unchanged in this deal.
“The rules on food standards have not changed and they will not change,” – Darren Jones
The UK’s Department for Environment and Rural Affairs (Defra) has promised to guarantee rigorous oversight and certification protocols. These steps will ensure that food coming into the UK meets our food standards. These measures are meant to keep hormone-reared beef out of the country.
Worries still remain in the ag community. Liz Webster, founder of Save British Farmer, echoed McCubbine’s worries, fearing that the trade deal could undermine existing food safety regulations.
The US government continues to blithely claim that hormone-fed beef does not present any new health hazards. Producers from Australia and other countries back this assertion up as well. UK farmers and consumer advocacy groups continue to keep a watchful eye for issues that would lower food standards.
As the UK navigates its post-Brexit trade landscape, this agreement with the US represents both an opportunity for economic growth and a challenge in preserving food safety standards cherished by many British consumers.