Tariff talk a mixed blessing

With the UK now likely to need the agreement of all 27 remaining EU member states to grant an extension which would stop the legal default position of the UK crashing out without a deal in a fortnight’s time, the recent announcement of tariff rates to be set on red meat imports have been welcomed as better late than never.

“The announcement that tariffs will apply to imported beef, sheepmeat and pigmeat is, in the first instance, reassuring in that it suggests that there would be a defence against a sudden rush of product from low-cost producing nations,” said Quality Meaty Scotland chief executive Alan Clarke.

However he said that while the measures might spell a “business as usual” for imports, it provided no clarity on the level of tariffs which could be faced by Scottish and UK meat and other produce being exported to the continent.

But Clarke emphasized that the most potentially concerning proposal was the fact that any new tariff arrangements could provide a backdoor plan for Irish beef and other meats moving into the UK as the tariff would not apply to direct trade between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland:

“The provision has been made for unconstrained movement of product directly from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland, while the proposed new tariff rate quota could also be used for direct shipments of beef from Ireland to the UK,” said Clarke.

“The monitoring of these two trade flows will be crucial to avoid unintended consequences for Scotland’s red meat products. We welcome that HMRC has recognised this.”