No drop in food standards, says Government as UK-US deal opens up beef trade

The Government has said there will be no reduction in food standards as a new trade deal allows tariff-free access for US beef exports.

Agriculture is a key part of a new trade deal struck between the UK and US, announced on Thursday by Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, with tariffs reduced on US products including beef and ethanol in return for moves that help British cars and steel.

As the deal was announced, Government sources insisted imports of hormone-treated beef or chlorinated chicken, previously described as red lines for the UK in any agreement, would remain illegal.

The agreement on beef provides a tariff-free quota for 13,000 tonnes of US exports, but the Government said there would be no drop in food standards as a result of the deal.

It also includes access for British beef exports to the US.

Farming leaders welcomed the Government’s efforts on maintaining high standards and securing reciprocal access for beef, but raised concerns about the inclusion of bioethanol, a fuel made from crops, in the deal.

National Farmers’ Union president Tom Bradshaw said: “We find ourselves in this position as a direct result of tariffs introduced by the US administration in April. This is not something anybody wanted.

“Since then, we have worked tirelessly on behalf of British agriculture, engaging closely with the UK Government to ensure our farmers receive a fair and balanced outcome within this deal and that the public is not exposed to lower-standard produce.

“We appreciate the Government’s efforts in listening to our concerns, particularly around maintaining high standards, protecting sensitive agricultural sectors and securing reciprocal access for beef.”

And he said: “For several years, we’ve campaigned with the UK’s agricultural attaches in Washington for market access for British beef, a product globally respected for its quality and strong environmental credentials.

“These efforts have contributed to enabling the UK Government to secure ring-fenced access for British beef exports to the US.”

But he warned that the inclusion of a “significant volume” of bioethanol in the deal raised concerns for British arable farmers, and added that agriculture could not continue to shoulder the “heavy burden” of the removal of tariffs for other industries in the economy.