UK-Australia free trade deal: MPs to scrutinise level playing field

• Watch Parliament TV: Australia FTA: Food and Agriculture
• Inquiry: Australia FTA: Food and Agriculture
• Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee

In this session, MPs will question academics and policy experts, scrutinising concerns raised about differing animal welfare and environmental standards, and the impact this will have on the trade ‘level playing field’. Other issues to be explored will include import controls and checks, export opportunities and the role of the recently established Trade and Agriculture Commission (TAC).

Witnesses

Tuesday 22 February

At 2.30pm

• Sarah Baker, Senior Strategic Insight Manager, Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board
• Professor Louise Manning, Professor of Agri-Food and Supply Chain Security, Royal Agricultural University
• Professor Fiona Smith, Professor of International Economic Law, University of Leeds
• Emily Rees, Senior Fellow, European Centre for International Political Economy

The UK-Australia Trade Deal, signed in December 2021, will according to the UK Government boost UK-Australia trade overall, and increase the size of the UK economy by £2.3bn (or 0.8%). The Government’s ambition is to achieve this by cutting UK import taxes (tariffs) on some Australian exports into the UK. Australia already has a very low import tariff regime.

The UK agri-food sector, as represented by farmers’ and meat producers’ organisations, has expressed concerns including about:

• losing market share in their sector in the UK because of the cuts in UK import taxes;
• losing share in high-end meat cuts (such as steaks) because of the way tariff-free quotas work by weight, not quality; and
• a lack of a level playing field because of higher UK animal welfare standards.

Further information

• About Parliament: Select committees
• Visiting Parliament: Watch committees

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