The US is now targeting Britain’s pork, poultry, rice and seafood sectors amid ongoing talks to expand agrifood exports to the UK, Donald Trump’s agriculture secretary said on Tuesday.
Brooke Rollins said these sectors were “at the front of the line” in ongoing discussions between the two countries after the announcement of a major US-UK trade deal last week, according to the Financial Times.
This is in addition to greater market access for American beef and bioethanol farmers, which was revealed last Thursday.
At the time, the Trump administration boasted about a multibillion-dollar opportunity for US farmers, but the original documents have only covered high-quality, hormone-free beef and ethanol trade, valued at about $950m.
However, ongoing talks are looking to build on those initial agreements, with the US now seeing “pork and poultry at the front of the line, along with rice and seafood”, Rollins said at an event in London.
“Food security is national security. The UK, for example, really relies on China and Russia for your seafood. America has extraordinary best-in-class seafood. Let’s talk about that,” she said, as per the FT report.
British farmers have already raised concerns about the so-called reciprocity of the deal, as they are worried about cheaper US imports undercutting domestic producers.
Read more: UK-US deal to include agrifoods but government draws ‘red line’ on hormone beef and chlorinated chicken
But Rollins stressed the benefits of the deal for UK exporters: “While, in fact, we are excited about getting American beef, ethanol [and] hopefully, down the line, rice, seafood, other products are coming into your country, this is also about getting more of your country’s products into ours as well.”
Food standards and animal welfare issues have also been at the forefront of the discussions, with UK ministers drawing a “red line” on controversial US-produced goods such as hormone-fed beef, chlorinated chicken, and pork made using techniques banned in the UK such as sow stalls.
Rollins defended the safety of those American products, claiming “only about 5%” of US chicken was now washed with chlorine, but maintained US exporters would be prepared to meet UK standards.
American producers “are constantly watching what the markets look like, and if the markets are calling for a specific type, or they have more opportunity somewhere, then I think that we, potentially, do see some movement in the market”, Rollins said.
Defra secretary Steve Reed said ministers “have always been clear that this government will protect British farmers and uphold our high animal welfare and environmental standards. That is exactly what we have done.
“I look forward to building on our partnership and co-operation across agriculture and biosecurity in the decades to come,” he added after meeting with Rollins.
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