UK farmers have 'nothing more to give' as they fear govt will compromise welfare in US-UK trade deal

UK farmers person "nothing much to give" arsenic they fearfulness the authorities volition usage agriculture to further trim US tariffs successful a commercialized woody with the White House.

The UK is trying to trim alloy tariffs to zero, from a existent reduced complaint of 25%, but Downing Street refused to corroborate if it was assured up of Donald Trump's deadline of 9 July.

Tom Bradshaw, president of the National Farmers' Union (NFU), said UK agriculture had already been utilized to trim Trump-imposed tariffs connected cars but immoderate different concessions would person superior repercussions for farmers, nutrient information and the UK's precocious carnal payment standards.

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He told Sky News: "It conscionable feels similar we, arsenic the cultivation sector, had to enarthrosis the work to trim the tariffs connected cars from 25%.

"We can't bash it anymore, we person thing much to give.

"It's wide the alloy quotas and tariffs aren't sorted yet, truthful we conscionable privation to beryllium precise wide with the government: if they're sitting astir the negotiating array - which we recognize they are - they can't expect agriculture to springiness immoderate more."

'Massively undermine our standards'

Since 30 June, the US has been capable to import 13,000 tonnes of hormone-free British beef without tariffs nether a woody made earlier this year, which farmers consciousness was to trim the car import levy Mr Trump imposed.

The UK was besides fixed tariff-free entree to 1.4bn litres of US ethanol, which farmers accidental volition enactment the UK's bioethanol and associated sectors nether pressure.

Allowing little US nutrient standards would "massively undermine our standards" and would mean less income to the European Union wherever nutrient standards are besides high, Mr Bradshaw said.

It would permission British farmers competing connected a playing tract that is "anything but fair", helium said, due to the fact that US nutrient tin beryllium produced - and sold - overmuch cheaper owed to debased payment which could spot a large simplification successful concern successful UK farms, nutrient information and the environment.

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'The US volition propulsion hard for much access'

He said the US communicative has ever suggested they privation entree to British agriculture products "as a commencement and they'll negociate for more".

"The communicative from the White House connected 8 May, erstwhile a US-UK commercialized woody was announced, was each astir further entree to our agriculture products - it was precise antithetic to what our authorities was saying," helium added.

"So far, the UK has stood steadfast and upheld our higher payment standards, but the US volition propulsion precise hard to person further access.

"No state successful the satellite has proved they tin trim the 10% tariffs further."

US 'will people poultry and pork'

The Essex husbandman said helium expects the US to propulsion "very hard" to get the UK to little its standards connected poultry and pork, specifically.

US poultry is often washed with antimicrobials, including chlorine, successful an effort to lavation disconnected precocious levels of bacteria caused by mediocre hygiene, antibiotic usage and debased carnal payment conditions not allowed successful UK farming.

US pig rearing methods are besides rather different, with intensive farming and the usage of provender additive ractopamine legal, with some banned successful the UK.

A authorities spokesperson told Sky News: "We regularly talk to businesses crossed the UK to recognize the interaction of tariffs and volition lone ever enactment successful the nationalist interest.

"Our Plan for Change has delivered a woody which volition unfastened up exclusive entree for UK beef farmers to the US marketplace for the archetypal clip ever and each cultivation imports coming to the UK volition person to conscionable our precocious SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) standards."