Tories’ 2019 election manifesto pledged not to reduce standards in the pursuit of trade deals.

“In all of our trade negotiations, we will not compromise on our high environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards,” it said.

#UKfarming thread

Govt officials told FT that DiT was preparing to offer a “big concession package” to US negotiators in the coming months that would reduce the cost of some agricultural imports to unlock a trade deal with Washington.

The package to liberalise tariffs has been led by @trussliz who is overseeing the UK-US negotiations. But she has faced internal opposition from George Eustice, who is concerned that cheaper US goods may undercut UK farmers.

@michaelgove says he shares Eutice’s concerns

Senior figures at DEFRA are concerned that reducing tariffs could be “thin end of the wedge”, leading to UK concessions on animal welfare standards.

Officials said govt was presently only considering reducing tariffs, not adjusting food welfare/safety standards to align with USA

“George Eustice and Defra wanted a level playing field on animal welfare. Defra has argued that you can’t lower tariffs for US agriculture when they’re produced at a much lower cost due to their welfare standards,” one Whitehall official said.

As UK and EU continue negotiations after Brexit, the Johnson govt is eager to strike FTA with Trump administration before the presidential election in Nov, when a new administration may take a different approach.

DIT official said that plans for tariffs had not been finalised.

“US-UK negotiations only started last week, far too early to talk about tariff changes. We’ve been clear that we will get a deal that works for whole UK, including our farmers. Any trade deals must be reciprocal too.”
Ally of Eustice said “these decisions are still to be made”.

One person from the agriculture industry said: “If govt refuses to take into account the last 8 weeks of Covid and think again about consumer welfare in respect of any US trade deal that would be antagonistic, arrogant and damaging.”

Sam Lowe, a trade expert at the Centre for European Reform think-tank, said a “big offer” on agriculture would be necessary to make any trade deal acceptable to the Trump administration and US Congress.

“US has long seen its meat shut out of EU markets bc of high tariffs and restrictive regs.

If UK is able to table offer that deals with all of these concerns, then trade deal can be done”

But such concessions “might prove controversial with British farmers and consumers”.

Nick von Westenholz, director of EU exit and international trade at the National Farmers’ Union, said British farmers would be “very concerned” about the government’s proposals, especially during the “volatility” of the coronavirus crisis.

“Any concessions UK negotiators give on market access such as lower or zero tariffs on agri goods must be accompanied by clear conditions on how those goods have been produced. Anything else would represent clear breach of govt’s own explicit red lines in trade negotiations.”

The issue of whether to open up the UK’s agriculture market to America is divisive among Conservatives. While pro-Brexit MPs are eager to reduce trading barriers, others are concerned at the impact it will have on farming as well as welfare and safety standards.