Trump trade deal: The British food industry reacts

Following a tumultuous few weeks since Donald Trump’s ‘Independence Day’ speech, in which he announced a raft of global tariffs, a wave of new deals is being handed out by the country, with the UK and China the latest to shake hands with the US President.

On Thursday, 8th May, President Trump revealed what he called ‘a great deal’ between Britain and the USA, eliminating barriers to trade which he felt were unfairly discriminatory, and allowing a number of American goods to be fast-tracked though British customs, removing red tape.

Both he and Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, called it a historic day and a tribute to the long history between the allies, with Starmer marking the deal as a “really important” step that will boost international trade.

While details are to be fully worked out in the coming weeks, it has been announced that US beef will be imported to the UK, which is causing some concern amongst British farmers.

These fears, said Defra secretary of state, Steve Reed (who met with US agricultural secretary Brooke Rollins on Monday, 12th May), can be allayed.

“The deal will protect Britain’s farmers and secure our food security,” he said. “For the first time ever, UK beef farmers will have exclusive access to the world’s largest consumer market.

“We have always been clear that this Government will protect British farmers and uphold our high animal welfare and environmental standards. That is exactly what we have done.

“I look forward to building on our partnership and cooperation across agriculture and biosecurity in the decades to come.” 

Mr Reed added that imports of hormone-treated beef or chlorinated chicken remain illegal, and clarified that any products landing on British shores must meet our high animal welfare standards. He called this an important time for British business, with the deal landing alongside another landmark negotiation with India, “which is a major boost for our world-class food and drink industry, and protects our most sensitive agricultural sectors. British farmers and producers of lamb, salmon, whisky and gin can now benefit from lower tariffs into one of the world’s fastest-growing markets,” he added.

The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) said the new trade deal with the USA presents British beef producers with greater opportunities in the American market, where demand has been increasing since 2020.

Susana Morris, AHDB senior trade development manager for the Americas, said, “In 2024 the UK exported just over 2,000 tonnes of beef, worth £10 million to the US. That represented an increase in volume of exports of 71.1% and an increase in value of 72.1% on 2023. This deal gives us an opportunity to build on that with our reputation as a quality supplier.

“Further clarification is needed regarding the how these tariffs will be implemented. AHDB will be monitoring further developments on this announcement.”

Jess Corsair, AHDB senior economist, added, “It is important to consider the value of the products that are sent. Much of UK product shipped to the US will be manufacturing beef, whereas the beef imported to the UK is likely to be higher value cuts. The UK will keep the red line for hormone treated beef so all beef imports will have to align with these standards.”

Karen Betts, chief executive of The Food and Drink Federation (FDF) welcomed the news, calling it a positive step for the UK economy. “There is obviously still the question of the 10% tariff that continues to apply to food and drink exports. We hope that this deal creates the space and momentum for continued discussions about removing those tariffs too,” she said.

“The US is UK food and drink’s third biggest export market, with £2.7bn worth of goods exported there in 2024, many of which are produced by small and medium-sized businesses. Government can make a real difference here by providing greater practical guidance and support to help more food and drink businesses find new customers abroad.”

After the announcement, NFU president, Tom Bradshaw, said the organisation has worked tirelessly on behalf of British agriculture, engaging with the Government to ensure our farmers are delivered a fair and balanced outcome – one that doesn’t expose the public to lower standard produce.

“We appreciate the Government’s efforts in listening to our concerns, particularly around maintaining high standards, protecting sensitive agricultural sectors and securing reciprocal access for beef,” he said.

“For several years, we’ve campaigned with the UK’s agricultural attachés in Washington for market access for British beef - a product globally respected for its quality and strong environmental credentials. These efforts have contributed to enabling the UK Government to secure ring-fenced access for British beef exports to the US.”

However, he added that the inclusion of a significant volume of bioethanol in the deal raises concerns for British arable farmers, and said, “Our biggest concern is that two agricultural sectors have been singled out to shoulder the heavy burden of the removal of tariffs for other industries in the economy. While we understand this, we also know that today is the start, not the end, of a process and UK agriculture cannot continue to shoulder such imbalances in future negotiations.” 

A farmer’s view

Rebecca Mayhew of Old Hall Farm in Norfolk thinks the British Government should concentrate its efforts on helping the nation become more self-sufficient in food, rather than working on reciprocal deals in which, she says, we are effectively swapping produce.

“I think global food trade is a way of controlling other countries. It’s not really about the food we need to live, and often it’s a way to help poorer countries by giving them an outlet. The downside of that is sometimes you create a problem. For example, Brazil nuts are very important to the native people of South America in their diet. What we’re doing is robbing them of nutrient-dense food by creating a false market.”

The global trade of food, Rebecca added, “is not about food. It’s about making friends and influencing people. I’m sure some people will think this deal is great, but I don’t want to see American beef on our shelves. Some American beef is amazing, but some will not be produced to the same standards we have here, and I want to know how Defra is going to monitor hormone use, and withdrawal periods. The devil is in the detail.”

Rebecca said she is concerned about the feed US beef is raised on – how it impacts the environment, and whether it is GM – and added that her viewpoint is we should be aiming in this country to produce and eat 100% pasture-fed beef, rather than looking to import from other nations. “I don’t think this deal is a good thing for our health! We need to have more livestock that’s 100% pasture fed, and to feed people better food. We’re constantly trying to make food cheaper in this country, and it doesn’t end up being better for people, the planet, or animals.”

It’s never been so important for independent retailers, such as butchers and farm shops, to tell shoppers about the provenance of their food, and now, she added, is a great time to really hammer home how and where higher welfare British beef is produced, and to fly the flag for British food.”