National Sheep Association commends firm stance on trade
30th January 2024
The National Sheep Association (NSA) is commending the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) for its firm stance on trade amid Canada quota talks.
The UK has been in talks with Canada for the past two years, whilst continuing to trade under EU terms in the interim, allowing the UK to continue selling imported products such as cheese without facing import tax.
NSA Chief Executive Phil Stocker says: “NSA supports this robust and tough stance in negotiating the future trading relationship between UK and Canada – we have to learn from lessons with the New Zealand and Australia deals and must do nothing to undermine Britain’s high standards of animal welfare and food safety – two key components of an ability to undercut the price of British food on our shelves.”
Canada has been pushing for the UK to relax a ban on hormone-treated beef, whilst also threatening to impose import taxes of up to 245% on British cheese products.
Mr Stocker continues “It is encouraging to see that in this instance where Canada was asking too much and offering too little, the Government was able to make the difficult decision to walk away, protecting our own producers as a result.
“The Government has been clear that lowering the UK’s high standards on food safety and welfare is not an option and NSA support them in exploring trading relationships that benefit both British consumers and producers."
