Food sector hungry for free trade

Food and drink manufacturers, retailers and farmers have called on Theresa May to ensure they continue to enjoy tariff-free trade with the European Union after Brexit.

The British Retail Consortium, the National Farmers Union and the Food and Drink Federation also called for transitional arrangements to maintain “frictionless” trade in goods and avoid “costly and disruptive” customs controls.

The industry employs 3.9million and is worth £108billion to the UK and “cannot operate in isolation”, according to the coalition of trade bodies.

In a joint statement to ministers at the government departments for Brexit, International Trade, Environment and Business, the group said much of the food supply chain is based domestically.

But they pointed out that farmers need to import feed and export products where UK demand is insufficient, that manufacturers rely on exports to grow their businesses and imports for some ingredients, and ret a i l e r s need access to a “full range of goods” to meet consumer demand.

The coalition also called on the government to:

Secure the benefits for UK traders of existing EU preferential trade arrangements.

Establish cooperation with non-EU countries on equalising regulations.

Ensure detailed economic impact assessments are carried out when trade negotiations are opened.