International trade secretary, Liz Truss, has said the UK is not prepared to compromise on food standards in a post-Brexit trade deal with the US.
Truss told the BBC: “We will not be negotiating that away as part of a trade deal.
“It is against the law to import chlorinated chicken and hormone-injected beef and we will not be negotiating that away as part of a trade deal. We’re not going to be bounced into a deal by the US – we will take the time it needs to get a deal that suits the UK.”
This comes after Boris Johnson said beef and poultry from the US should be allowed into the UK as part of a trade deal with the US and refused to rule out scrapping bans on chlorinated chicken and hormone fed beef.
“We produce to some of the highest standards in the world, our unique selling point as we open up markets overseas. But it mustn’t become our Achilles heel by forcing farmers to compete with producers who aren’t required to shoulder the same cost burdens.”
Truss had previously announced a new Trade and Agriculture Commission which aims to help inform Government on trade policies around food, animal welfare and environmental standards.
Commenting on the introduction of the new Commission and the possibility of food imports which would be illegal for UK farmers to produce, National Farmers’ Union president, Minette Batters, said: “We produce to some of the highest standards in the world, our unique selling point as we open up markets overseas. But it mustn’t become our Achilles heel by forcing farmers to compete with producers who aren’t required to shoulder the same cost burdens.
“We must now make sure that the Commission, our negotiators and our Parliament are all properly equipped to ensure a prosperous and sustainable future for UK agriculture.”
