Delivering a united message, UK farmers said further agricultural concessions would cripple an already hard-pressed farming and growing sector which had already 鈥渄one its bit鈥� on trade with Washington2.听
It comes amidst serious concerns that the US will demand even greater access to the UK agricultural market in return for reducing or removing the additional 10% tariffs applied by President Trump earlier this year. A key concern is that this could include concessions for US agri-food items that have been produced using methods that are illegal here, and fail to meet the UK鈥檚 high animal welfare, environmental and food safety standards. 聽
At an extraordinary board meeting convened by the NFU, comprising of elected farmer and grower representatives across food-producing sectors, it was made clear that UK farming can give no more without suffering serious impacts on its own viability3. The board concluded that the deal UK-US agreed in May is the most the agriculture sector can carry. 聽
This deal saw the UK livestock and arable sectors taking the hit in order to reduce significant tariffs on other sectors of the economy such as cars, steel and aluminium. At the time, the NFU recognised that this was a necessary burden to bear to protect the wider UK economy, but warned the agricultural sector could not shoulder any more as negotiations continued.听
Now, the NFU is calling for a commitment that agriculture will not be used as a bargaining chip in negotiations to reduce the remaining 10% tariffs and is asking the government to be prepared to walk away rather than risk our domestic food and farming sector.听
NFU President Tom Bradshaw said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 understandable that the UK government wants to eliminate the 10% tariffs on all goods going to the US, but we have to ask 鈥� what is the cost? 聽
鈥淭he US has made it crystal clear that they want greater access to our market for their agricultural produce, and it is not afraid to throw its weight around to get what it wants. But the UK agriculture sector has already done its bit, paying with access to our beef and ethanol markets to reduce tariffs on cars, aluminium and steel. We have nothing more to give. 聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 worth noting that our government has upheld its side of the deal announced in May, with legislation now in place to allow this additional access for American imports of beef and ethanol. Yet the US is dragging its feet to uphold its side of the bargain with no sign of the promised access to the US beef market. 聽
鈥淣o one has been able to agree a deal which removes these 10% tariffs. We cannot continue to barter away critical sectors such as food production in pursuit of tariff reductions which may never materialise and that simply take us back to where we were before 鈥淟iberation Day鈥�.听
鈥淥ur government has stood firm so far to protect our most sensitive farming sectors and to safeguard our high welfare, environmental and food safety standards. It has to continue to do so by taking further agricultural concessions off the negotiating table, or we run the serious risk of crippling our country鈥檚 ability to produce its own food and undermining our food production values.听
鈥淎nd if push comes to shove and the US doesn鈥檛 accept this, I hope our government would prioritise its own farming sector 鈥� the foundation of our nation鈥檚 food security 鈥� over any further deal with the US, even if it means accepting the 10% tariffs.鈥澛�