Farmers beef about Aussie trade deal, but EU sells us 150,000 tons/yr with no tariffs

Is the former DEFRA Secretary telling porkie pies to cater to the Big Agriculture lobby?

Montage © Facts4EU.Org

UK already imports massive quantities of beef from EU – why not buy from Australia instead?

On Monday in the Commons, MPs debated the new Australian and New Zealand free trade deals (FTAs). MPs from farming communities rushed to condemn the new FTAs, but none of them mentioned just how much food the UK has to import for the public’s consumption because we can’t produce enough ourselves.

Today Brexit Facts4EU.Org sets the record straight – particularly for the former DEFRA Secretary George Eustice MP who represents a farming constituency and whose family were farmers. He was vocal in Parliament on Monday and subsequently on the BBC. The National Farmers Union (NFU) might also wish to read this.

To keep this report short and punchy we will focus purely on beef, as this was the main topic in the Commons debate on Monday.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

What’s the beef? UK farming can’t produce enough to satisfy demand

1. The need for beef imports

UK farmers could only supply 70% of the UK consumer’s appetite for beef in 2021
The rest had to be imported from the EU and the world
This follows decades of the UK being part of the EU’s ‘Common Agricultural Policy’

2. The continuing massive supply of beef from the EU

In 2021 the EU sold us over 150,000 tons of fresh and frozen beef products
The Republic of Ireland supplied 81.7% of this
These exports to the UK were tariff free for the EU, as a result of the ‘Trade & Cooperation Agreement’
There were no complaints from the NFU, Big Agriculture, or MPs

3. The EU also sends live cattle to the UK for slaughter

On top of the above the EU sent us 9,274 tons of their live cattle for slaughter in the UK

4. As usual, the EU does far better than the UK from this arrangement

EU beef exports to UK : € 915,894,288
UK beef exports to EU : € 248,440,269

EU's surplus for beef trade with the UK in 2021 was €667,454,019 (2/3rds of a billion euros)

[Sources : EU Commission statistics agency | DEFRA ]

What the former DEFRA Secretary said – and the simple answer to his claims

“We did not actually need to give Australia nor New Zealand full liberalisation of beef and sheep. It was not in our economic interests to do so.
“And neither Australia nor New Zealand had anything to offer in return for such a grand concession.”
- The Rt Hon George Eustice MP, House of Commons, Mon 14 Nov 2022

In reply, a Member of the Government’s Trade and Agriculture Commission, commented:

“So, as far as Eustice is concerned, for the UK to gain greater and easier access for exporting machinery, vehicles, electrical machinery, pharmaceutical products, optical equipment, and plastics is worth nothing – in comparison to conceding advantages in importing beef and lamb?
“It is also important to point out the UK did not fully liberalise beef and sheep trade in either the Australian or the New Zealand trade agreements. UK imports of both of these commodities will retain high tariffs and tight quotas for up to 16 years. I am surprised that Eustice doesn’t know this.”
- Catherine McBride, Economist, Member of the Government’s Trade and Agriculture Commission, Tues 15 Nov 2022

Observations

For decades the EU has taken full advantage of the lucrative market for beef in the United Kingdom. It has sold us far more than we sold them.

Following the preferential terms the EU secured under the UK-EU ‘Trade and Cooperation Agreement’ (TCA) prior to Brexit, this trade has carried on, tariff-free for the EU.

Before automatically attacking the new free trade agreements with Australia and New Zealand, we suggest that MPs and the Big Agriculture lobby of the NFU and large land owners might wish to turn their attention to the TCA trade deal with the EU.

Australia and New Zealand must wait more than a decade until they can benefit from the new trade arrangements for agricultural products with the UK. This was done to allow UK farmers time to prepare.

Conversely, the EU was allowed to carry on as if Brexit had never happened.

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[ Sources: Eurostat | DEFRA | Global Britain ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Wed 16 Nov 2022

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Reader Comments 13

11. Buster , Thursday, November 17, 2022, 04:15:

It is amusing that you are still arguing that Brexit leads to lower prices. The opposite of true.
One genuine positive of Brexit is that the groups of people who voted for it in large numbers - farmers, fishermen, pensioners - have been well and truly screwed over by it.
I can’t hear the stories of fishermen who have lost their businesses because of Brexit without absolutely laughing my head off. So long as we don’t have to fund their dole money.

12. Ashley Great Britain , Thursday, November 17, 2022, 10:29:

11 Buster.
See, even if it was working you would want it to fail,And you would want it to harm people.
In 10 years time when we are doing much better as a nation you will still say that Brexit was/is bad.
For the life of me I will never understand people like you.

13. Old Albion , Thursday, November 17, 2022, 19:37:

Buster: you have a very selective observational attitude young feller.
"fishermen have been well and truly screwed over"
You're correct, they were, by the EU. Hundreds, possibly thousands of fishing boats and crews were permanently beached thanks to the EU fish quotas, which all but destroyed our historic fishing fleet.
Now we are out of the EU, if our government can grow some cajones. We can once again fish OUR seas for US.

13 comments, page 2 of 2

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