Unions demand government protects farming in US trade deal

The UK’s four main farming unions have issued a joint call for the government to stand up for UK agriculture in any trade negotiations with the US, following media reports of an imminent trade deal aimed at avoiding tariffs on agricultural exports.

The NFU, NFU Cymru, NFU Scotland and the Ulster Farmers’ Union are urging the government not to compromise on food safety, animal welfare and environmental standards.

The warning comes as discussions continue about a potential trade agreement ahead of 2 April, the date US president Donald Trump has said he will impose a range of tariffs including on agricultural products.

See also: Former MP warns of US trade deal threat to UK agriculture

The farming community remains wary, citing previous trade deals with Australia and New Zealand that saw the UK’s most sensitive agricultural markets opened up with minimal returns for domestic farmers.

The unions also raised concerns over the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), which has granted market access to countries with lower animal welfare standards.

The US has long pushed for greater access to the UK’s agricultural markets, with particular interest in reducing sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) measures, which currently prevent the importation of certain US agricultural products that would be illegal to produce in the UK.

These includes hormone-treated beef, chlorine-washed chicken, and pork treated with antimicrobial washes – all of which are banned in the UK.

“It’s deeply concerning to see media reports that the government is seeking an urgent trade deal with the US to avoid tariffs,” the farming unions’ presidents said in a joint statement.

“While we do not want tariffs on UK agri-food exports, this approach puts our negotiators on the back foot and makes balanced negotiations more difficult. The government must ensure that UK farming interests are protected.”

NFU president Tom Bradshaw expressed concern that another trade deal could undermine the UK’s food safety standards.

“Absolutely no one wants to see hormone-treated beef or chlorine-washed chicken on our shelves,” he said. “These practices were banned in the ’80s and ’90s for good reason – they don’t reflect the values we hold in the UK.”

The farming unions are calling on the UK government to honour its previous commitments to protect UK farming and ensure that future trade deals benefit both farmers and consumers.

Labour promise

The Labour government has repeatedly promised that it would not repeat the mistakes of past trade deals and that it would safeguard UK farming and its core standards of food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection in any future trade negotiations.

At the NFU conference in London in February, Defra secretary Steve Reed said: “We will never lower our food standards in trade agreements.

“British farming deserves a level playing field where you can compete and win and that is what you’ll get. We will use the full range of powers at our disposal to protect our most sensitive sectors.”