We should put Down Under on top for trade, polling says

AUSTRALIA is the main country with which Britons believe the UK should be trading more, according to a poll.

In a survey, 65 per cent supported a free trade deal with Australia. The country also topped a list of nations with which people believe the UK should increase trade, including the US, New Zealand, China and Japan.

Britain is on the verge of a trade deal with Australia, following negotiations by Liz Truss, the International Trade Secretary.

The talks sparked a split in the Cabinet over the impact of a zero-tariff, zero-quota deal on Australian meat imports on British farmers.

However, the Adam Smith Institute (ASI), the free market think tank, says that Britons “believe that British farmers can and should compete globally... and do not consider protecting farmers worth blocking the deal”.

A CT Group survey of 1,500 Britons and 1,500 Australians, for the ASI, found 66 per cent of British respondents favoured more trade with Australia, compared with 48 per cent wanting more with the US, and 42 per cent with Japan.

Some 70 per cent agreed that “Free trade is generally a good thing, and benefits all sides”. In total, 64 per cent of UK respondents said that British farmers should compete on an equal basis with imports of the same standards, while 52 per cent said consumers should not be denied access to Australian farming goods produced at a lower price.

Two-thirds (66 per cent) believed Australia had high standards of food safety and animal welfare, while 6 per cent said it had low standards. Some 63 per cent said they would support a trade deal with Australia even if it would result in reduced profits and some British farmers going out of business.

Just 20 respondents would opt to block a deal to prevent British farmers facing more competition. More than half (52 per cent) would opt for Australian beef as an alternative to British, while 24 per cent would opt for EU beef.

The Department of International Trade said: “This is why we left the EU – to strike out beyond Europe and deepen ties with nations like Australia who share our values and commitment to standards in food and animal welfare.

“A deal will boost exports from whisky to services, supporting jobs at home, and mean more choice on our shelves. It will help lock in our divergence from the EU and pivot Britain towards faster-growing markets in Asia Pacific.” Scott Morrison, the Australian prime minister, could sign this week, when he arrives for the G7 summit.