With a trade deal with the EU hanging in the balance now, the British government clings to any deal, ignoring its side effects.
This is stated in “The Guardian” edition.
A free trade agreement with the United States is not a salvation, but a problem for the United Kingdom. It will cause the British market to be flooded with poorer quality foods made with hormones, pesticides, antibiotics and chemicals. Against this backdrop, Britain’s National Farmers Union has created a petition to ban such imports, and it has already collected a million signatures.
Farmers are the main victims of the Conservative Party’s policies, although, more recently, agriculture was a major part of its identity. British lamb exported to the EU will be taxed at 48%, 57% on cheddar, 37% on poultry and 84% on beef. At the same time, London says it will cut all import duties by 88% of its production.
This will destroy farms in Cumbria, Scotland and Wales, as well as many other farms, writes The Guardian. Considering that free trade agreements will be signed not only with the United States, but also with Australia and other countries, the agriculture and food industry in Britain will be seriously undermined.
Moreover, Washington will insist on the abolition of the exclusive rights to “geographical indication”. That is, exclusive products of British manufacturers will be able to be produced on an assembly line somewhere in Georgia. And with all this, the trade deal with the United States will increase the UK GDP by only 0.07-0.16%.
Although many farmers supported Brexit at the time, they voted against European democracy, says Nick von Westenholz, a spokesman for the National Farmers’ Union. According to him, people were deceived.
“They voted to get rid of the EU’s hated red tape without cutting back”, – he said.
“They were promised that they will retain access to the EU’s single market”.
As News Front previously reported, chances of signing a trade agreement between London and Brussels have dwindled after British Prime Minister Boris Johnson decided to withdraw from the Brexit deal regarding the Irish border. In this regard, the European Union is ready to initiate a lawsuit, which may end with fines and even sanctions for Britain. In addition, preparations have already begun in Brussels to end trade cooperation with the kingdom.