Tories praise Oz trade deal but farmers voice their misgivings
A FREE trade deal with Australia has been welcomed as a “fantastic success story” by Welsh Tories but concerns have been raised over the impact on farmers and other food producers.
The UK Government estimates the deal would unlock £10.4bn of additional trade while ending tariffs on all UK exports.
However, farming groups have expressed concern that they could be undercut by cheap imports.
Welsh Government Economy Minister Vaughan Gething said the deal could bring benefits to Wales.
But he added: “Whilst there may be benefits in the deal for Wales, particularly in the area of services and mobility, I was clear during the negotiations that any trade deal must not disadvantage Welsh producers or compromise the high-quality standards that are so important to us in Wales.
“This is particularly important for our agriculture sector, who adhere to high environmental and animal welfare regulations, and we continue to have significant concerns around the increased market access included in this agreement, the impact this may have on our producers and the precedent it may set for future deals.
“I am disappointed that my views on this element of the deal appear to have not been taken on board. My officials and I made this point very clear to UK Government during negotiations.”
The value of goods trade between Australia and Wales in the year ending June 2021 amounted to £186.6m, with Australia being Wales’ 20th-largest goods export market and 42ndlargest goods import market.
Latest services trade data for 2019 estimate services exports to Australia were valued at around £181m, while imports of services from Australia were valued at around £53m.
Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for the Economy Paul Davies MS said: “This deal between the UK and Australia is a fantastic success story.
“This historic agreement will bring a boost to our economy and increase wages for workers across the country. Important sectors in Wales, such as manufacturing and communications, are expected to grow considerably as a result.
“Not only will the deal boost our economy, but it will also remove visa conditions for Australia, giving young people across Wales the opportunity to work and travel in the country for up to three years at a time.”