U.K. leader admits U.S. trade deal not close

But Johnson says British lamb exports to U.S. will be allowed again soon.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson conceded Wednesday that a post-brexit trade deal with the U.S. was not imminent as he voiced confidence that the decades-long U.S. ban on imports of British lamb would be lifted.

A day after President Joe Biden downplayed the prospect of a trade deal by not pushing back on a suggestion Britain was at the back of the line, Johnson said British farmers, notably those in Wales, would soon be able to export lamb to the U.S. once again.

“I can tell you today that what we’re going to get from the United States now is a lifting of the decades old ban, totally unjustified, discriminating on British farmers and British lamb,” he told reporters outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington. “It’s about time too. And what we’re wanting to do is make solid incremental steps in trade.”

Despite Johnson’s claims the U.S. would lift a ban on British lamb, his office at Downing Street later said details still need to be worked out.

The U.S. has banned the import of British beef and lamb since 1989, as a result of BSE (bovine spongiform encephalopathy), widely known as “mad cow disease.” The ban on beef has already been lifted.

Phil Stocker, chief executive of the National Sheep Association, said farmers were delighted by the announcement. He said the domestic lamb market accounts for 60% to 65% of production, with the European Union the biggest export market. “However, access is more difficult than it was when we were part of the EU,” he said. “It’s essential to maintain EU access, but it is also important to work on any market that gives us future potential.”