IFT is pleased to have been invited to participate in the Government’s new Trade and Agriculture Commission. IFT attended as a delegate at the launch event, hosted by International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss.

From increased export opportunities and reduced costs of inputs, UK agriculture can expect to gain from free trade agreements. With products valued for their high quality, the sector is already becoming more competitive. For example, the UK recorded a trade surplus for dairy products for the first time since records began in 1997. The trade balance for all dairy products was positive in volume terms in 2019, with a surplus of 95k tonnes of product, figures from HMRC show. Further, the UK’s pork exports grew almost 20% last year - £30m of which pork is currently exported to the US. And trade liberalisation stands to accelerate this competitiveness yet further.

IFT is also committed to ensuring that our own economy is open. Free trade means not arbitrarily discriminating against foreign products, and as the UK establishes itself at the WTO - an organisation founded on this principle - the UK must join those leading by example.

Delegates to Commission - which include representatives from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA), National Sheep Association, British Veterinary Association, Tesco, and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) - will advise on matters including:
The Government’s own announcement can be found found here.

• Trade policies the Government should adopt to secure opportunities for UK farmers, while ensuring the sector remains competitive and that animal welfare and environmental standards in food production are not undermined.
• Advancing and protecting British consumer interests and those of developing countries.
• How the UK engages the WTO to build a coalition that helps advance higher animal welfare standards across the world.
• Developing trade policy that identifies and opens up new export opportunities for the UK agricultural industry – in particular for SMEs – and that benefits the UK economy as a whole.