US lif ts ban on British lamb... but trade deal’s not oven-ready

THE long-standing American ban on British lamb will be lifted, Boris Johnson said yesterday – as he acknowledged that progress towards a wider trade deal is proving ‘incremental’.

The Prime Minister said he had secured agreement from Joe Biden on the issue during talks in the White House on Tuesday night.

Mr Johnson admitted that little progress is being made towards a wider UK-US free trade deal, which was one of his post-Brexit goals.

But Downing Street played down the idea that Britain might settle for joining an existing trade arrangement between the US, Canada and Mexico.

After his meeting in the Oval Office, the PM said the ban on British lamb, which dates back to the BSE crisis, would finally be lifted. A similar ban on British beef, imposed in 1996, was lifted a year ago.

He said: ‘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.

‘It’s about time too. And what we’re wanting to do is make solid incremental steps in trade. The Biden administration is not doing free trade deals around the world right now but I’ve got absolutely every confidence that a great deal is there to be done.

‘The US is a massive devourer of lamb – the second biggest in the world. It will make a huge difference to our farmers.’

Mr Johnson, who held talks with Congressional leaders yesterday, said there were ‘plenty of people’ in Congress who also wanted closer trade ties with Britain.

Mr Biden’s offer to end the lamb ban took British officials by surprise. No 10 said the details, including timing, were to be finalised. It will not end the ban on haggis, which is covered by separate rules on offal.

President Biden also warned Mr Johnson not to dilute the Brexit deal with Northern Ireland – an issue he said he felt ‘very strongly’ about.

The Prime Minister has said the current operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol is ‘not sustainable’, with EU checks creating a trade barrier down the Irish Sea which is threatening to destabilise the delicate political balance in the Province.

Mr Johnson is understood to have offered to explain the issue to Mr Biden during their Oval Office talks. But the US President, who is proud of his Irish heritage, cut him off, saying: ‘You know my views.’

Environment Secretary George Eustice suggested President Biden did not know what he was talking about. He said the protocol was ‘very complicated’, adding: ‘I’m not sure he does fully appreciate all of that.’

No 10 played down reports that the UK could try to join the US, Canada and Mexico free trade area, saying the ‘priority’ is to get a stand-alone deal, rather than accept terms negotiated by others. But some ministers believe it may be the only way to deepen US trade ties in the short term.