Wales farmers see threat in New Zealand trade deal

Following the announcement of the UK-New Zealand trade deal, Hybu Cig Cymru - MEAT Promotion Wales (HCC) raised concerns about the need to level the playing field for farmers and ensure that organic lamb and beef products are available to consumers.

The trade agreement should immediately increase UK market access for New Zealand beef, as well as remove all restrictions on meat imports within 15 years. Duty-free beef imports will immediately rise from 454 tons to 12,000 tons, and then rise to 60,000 tons over 15 years. New Zealand already has the right to EXPORT 114,000 tons of mutton to the UK duty-free. The deal will provide an additional discount on fares before restrictions are fully lifted in 2036.

“As expected, the generous trade deal with Australia has set a precedent for other countries demanding similar unrestricted access to the UK market. For mutton, although imports of New Zealand mutton have been below the permitted quota in recent years, unlimited supplies from New Zealand pose a potential threat in the future should there be any disruption to their other export markets in Asia and the Americas. For beef, this deal will mean an immediate increase in global competition for domestic producers. Wales is not afraid of trade - we produce high quality red meat that can compete with any meat in the world. But such generous free trade agreements threaten to distort the market.