The first tariff-free shipment of UK beef has arrived in the US in a move Defra said could be a “major growth opportunity for British farmers”, worth up to £70m a year.
The shipment follows the signing of the UK/US Economic Prosperity Deal last May, which gives both countries a reciprocal 13,000-tonne tariff-free quota for beef.
Thanks to the deal, a shipment of UK beef – supplied by Northern Ireland-based Foyle Food Group – has just arrived in the US. Valued at more than £190,000, it has benefitted from almost £50,000 tariff relief, “easing costs for businesses and supporting growth back home”, Defra said.
“This agreement provides tariff-free access to the world’s largest beef market,” said Foyle Food Group business development spokesman Michael Acheson. “Securing this dedicated UK quota for the first time also allows us to build longer-term business relationships and provide a more consistent and reliable supply into the US market.”
The shipment arrived on American shores just as Defra secretary Emma Reynolds embarked on the UK government’s first dedicated agricultural trade mission to the United States.
The mission would “pursue opportunities to grow our trade with the largest consumer market in the world”, said Reynolds, who added there were significant new opportunities to build on the £2bn-worth of UK food and drink sent to the US last year.
The environment secretary will be joined by key UK industry figures on her mission, including representatives from the National Farmers’ Union, AHDB, Foyle Food Group, the International Meat Trade Association and the Scotch Whisky Association.
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Reynolds will attend the US Annual Meat Conference this week to support five of the UK’s largest meat exporters and discuss opportunities for growing the US market, “flying the flag for UK meat among American buyers”, Defra said.
She will then host a major food and drink showcase reception at the UK’s US Ambassador’s Residence, “bringing together UK exporters and buyers to sample premium beef alongside other world-class British products such as cheese, seafood, spirits and English sparkling wine”.
Delegates from the Scotch Whisky Association would also have opportunity to get their products in front of US buyers, “championing one of the UK’s most iconic spirits in a market with strong consumer demand”, Defra added.
“It is good to be teaming up with the secretary of state on her trip to Washington DC,” said SWA CEO Mark Kent.
“We’re proud that scotch whisky is the UK’s biggest food and drink export, and the United States is our most important market, worth £933m in 2025. Scotch whisky has deep, long-standing ties with the American whiskey industry – not just through our closely connected supply chain, but in our shared commitment to a premium product that’s loved around the world.”
At a time when global trade was evolving “and our sector is seeing increased pressure in crucial markets like the US, the secretary of state’s visit is an important opportunity to build on that historic relationship while championing zero-tariff trade on both sides of the Atlantic”, he added.
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