Trade Minister Chris Bryant was up in front of the Trade and Business Committee, alongside two senior officials from the Department of Business and Trade, to discuss the recent FTA (free trade agreement) negotiations with the EU and US.
When asked about the FTA with the US, the Minister told the committee that America was still pushing for us to liberalise our ‘non-tariff barriers’ – for example our agri-food and industrial standards. Mr Bryant said that, as the government believed we are world-leaders in these areas (eg, our agri-food standards), they were not areas the UK would negotiate away.
Minister repeats defence of Indian FTA
Mr Bryant also made this commitment in relation to the FTA agreement with India. Although, as a whole, the agreement upheld our food standards, the NFU raised concerns about the liberalisation of our market to Indian dairy products. These concerns have also been raised by the Business and Trade Committee separately.
Returning to the FTA with the US, Justin Madders, the Labour MP for Ellesmere Port and Bromborough, asked the Minister how issues will be resolved where the government has been clear it will not negotiate, such as with agri-food standards.
Mr Bryant referred to the successful negotiations for an agreement on pharmaceuticals with the US (which he said he didn’t think was possible) adding that there were ‘other areas’ where he thought we could have successful negotiations despite both sides having their own ‘red lines’.
Push for greater market access for UK farmers
Asked what his ambitions for UK agriculture were in negotiations with the US, Mr Bryant referred to the reciprocal quota agreed with the US on beef and NFU President Tom Bradshaw’s recent trip to the United States with Defra Sectary Emma Reynolds to market UK beef.
Kate Joseph, a senior official at the DBT (Department for Business and Trade) said negotiations were ongoing to secure greater market access and lower tariffs for British agri-food products, but noted that our general tariff rate of 10% was positive compared to other countries, and that the US has so far been unwilling to negotiate on these.
UK-EU SPS negotiations
Although he is not the Minister responsible for negotiations with the EU (Cabinet Minister Nick Thomas-Symonds is), Chris Bryant told the Committee he wanted the government to be as ambitious as possible in its negotiations with the European Union, but noted the government’s commitment not to re-join the single market or a customs union.
Mr Bryant said there were no sectors where alignment with the EU would be off the table.
The NFU’s trade team continues to lobby the government for transitional measures as part of any UK-EU alignment on regulation.
Read about the NFU’s asks on the UK-EU SPS agreement and access our explainers on how key sectors will be affected:
