Deal will benefit UK farmers – PM
BORIS JOHNSON has insisted British farmers will benefit from the UK’S free trade deal with Australia, the first to be negotiated from scratch since Brexit.
The Prime Minister said it was “good news” for services and manufacturers in the UK, with British products such as cars, Scotch whisky and confectionary set to be cheaper to sell to Australia because of the tariff-free agreement.
Mr Johnson and his Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, announced the agreement yesterday despite concerns from British farmers that they could be undercut by cut-price imports.
Industry leaders have also spoken out over possible compromises on food standards, as the UK has a ban on producing and importing hormone-treated beef, which is permitted in Australia.
Following the concerns from the farming sector, Downing Street said there will be a cap on tariff-free imports for 15 years, with other “safeguards” expected to be brought in to protect British farmers.
Mr Johnson said the trade agreement will adhere to the “strongest possible” animal welfare standards as he pledged the deal will be good for UK farmers.
THE US and the European Union have reached a deal to end a damaging dispute over subsidies to rival plane makers Boeing and Airbus and phase out billions of dollars in punitive tariffs, the US trade envoy said.
US trade representative Katherine Tai said the two sides have come to terms on a five-year agreement to suspend the tariffs at the centre of the dispute.
She said they could be reimplemented if the US companies are not able to “compete fairly” with those in Europe.
“Today’s announcement resolves a long-standing irritant in the US-EU relationship,” Ms Tai said, as president Joe Biden met with EU leaders in Brussels.
“Instead of fighting with one of our closest allies, we are finally coming together.”