UK halts post-Brexit deal with Canada over beef and cheese row

Sign as much as our free Brexit and past electronic mail for the newest headlines on what Brexit is which means for the UK

Sign as much as our Brexit electronic mail for the newest perception

Rishi Sunak’s authorities has halted talks with Canada on a post-Brexit commerce deal as a consequence of a disagreement over beef and cheese.

The two nations have been negotiating for the final two years, with commerce persevering with below the previous preparations brokered when the UK was a member of the EU.

A row has erupted over Canada’s pushing for Britain to loosen up its ban on hormone-treated beef, which its producers say successfully shuts them out of the British market.

Canada’s authorities has been dealing with strain from each its beef business and home cheesemakers – additionally pushing to get higher entry to the UK market.

But a spokeswoman for Canada’s commerce minister, Mary Ng, stated she was “disappointed” on the talks had now fallen aside – saying as a lot to commerce secretary Kemi Badenoch.

Ms Ng’s spokeswoman instructed the BBC: “Their decision to continue to maintain market access barriers for our agriculture industry and unwillingness to reach a mutual agreement has only stalled negotiations.”

Ms Ng added on X, previously often known as Twitter, that the Canadian “government will never agree to a deal that isn’t good for our workers, farmers and businesses”.

A UK authorities supply stated Canada appeared to have “lost sight of the bigger picture – the British and Canadian businesses who do £26bn worth of trade a year and the people they employ”.

The supply added: “If Canada come back to table with a serious offer and desire to make progress we’re all ears, but in the meantime we’re going to focus on other trade deals that deliver for UK businesses.”

Minette Batters, president of the Nation Farmers’ Union (NFU) of England and Wales, praised the Sunak authorities for having “stuck to its line and not given way”.

She instructed BBC Radio 4’s Today programme it was important that hormone-treated beef isn’t allowed into the nation.

“It is a relief for farmers. This has been going on for a long time and it is about enhancing the trading relationship between the UK and Canada.”

The farming chief stated agricultural merchandise tended to be “the first thing to be discussed and the last thing to be agreed – I am pleased the government has stuck to its line and not given way”.

Ms Batters added: “Canada has played hardball for a long time. It was always going to come to a crunch point as to who was going to capitulate.”

The UK had been buying and selling with Canada on phrases that largely replicated the preparations in place from the UK’s time within the EU. Negotiations started on a brand new settlement in March 2022.

The earlier settlement had allowed the UK to proceed to promote vehicles and cheese within the North American nation with out Canada charging import tax.

“We reserve the right to pause negotiations with any country if progress is not being made,” stated a UK authorities spokesperson on the collapse in talks.”

They added: “We remain open to restarting talks with Canada in the future to build a stronger trading relationship that benefits businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic.”