March 3, 2020

Britain to maintain high food safety standards in US trade deal demands

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the government will pursue a trade deal that would maintain its high food standards and animal welfare, reported Reuters.

This comes after local farmers were concerned that the Britain's new trade deal with the United States will allow US made chlorine washed chicken and hormone-treated beef to be imported into Britain.

Liz Turss, British Trade Minister said the new trade deal will not diminish Britain's food safety standards, adding that Britain is ready to walk away from any proposed deal if this and other unnegotiable trade objectives are not met.

The British negotiating team is heading to Brussels for the discussions. Prime Minister Johnson is looking to negotiate a trade deal with the United States to highlight Britain's newfound independence from the European Union and add pressure to the EU in future talks.

Jeff Emerson, US Trade Representative Office spokesman said the country is currently reviewing the negotiating objectives from Britain and is keen to discuss a trade agreement.

The British government said a United States deal could boost trade by US$19.61 billion between both nations over the 15 years and boost the economy by 0.16%. The United States is Britain's second biggest trading partner, accounting for 19% of exports and 11% imports in 2018. The EU remains Britain's biggest trade partner with 45% exports and 53% imports.

-      Reuters