UK cheese export tariffs to be slashed after Norway trade deal

TARIFFS of up to 277% on cheese exported from the UK are set to be cut after a new trade deal was signed with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein.

International Trade Secretary Liz Truss announced the deal was agreed in principle yesterday, and said it was the first to include dedicated chapters on digital trade and small businesses.

Exports to the three countries can be done using digital documents, contracts and signatures, the Department for International Trade said.

And it said the agreement significantly cuts tariffs as high as 277% for exporters to Norway of Traditional Welsh Caerphilly, West Country Farmhouse Cheddar, Orkney Scottish Island Cheddar and Yorkshire Wensleydale cheese.

There are also tariff reductions and quotas on pork, poultry and other goods, and UK wines and spirits including Scotch whisky will also now be recognised in Norway and Iceland.

Meanwhile, import tariffs on shrimps, prawns and haddock will be reduced, pushing down costs for UK fish processing and helping support some 18,000 jobs in that industry in Scotland, East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire.

Ms Truss said: “Today’s deal will be a major boost for our trade with Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, growing an economic relationship already worth £21.6bn, while supporting jobs at home.”

International Trade Minister Ranil Jayawardena added: “This deal shows that the United Kingdom will continue to be a trade partner of choice, as we set the global trade agenda in areas like e-commerce and climate change.”

The department said the deal also means British businesses can bid for more government contracts in partner countries worth some £200m a year, and will allow caps on roaming charges and simpler visa processes for high-skilled professionals. There is also an agreement where nurses, lawyers, vets and other professionals will be able to move to the three countries without having to requalify.

The department said the deal will allow caps on the charges mobile operators are allowed to charge each other for international mobile roaming, a world first in a FTA, keeping costs low for holidaymakers and business travellers.

Norway’s prime minister Erna Solberg said: “This agreement secures Norwegian jobs and facilitates economic growth, and it marks an important step forward in our relationship with the UK after Brexit.”