Brexit: UK meat industry fears losing up to 50% of exports

Industry chiefs urge government to forge standards deal with EU to ease ‘enormous’ trade friction

Health certificates and other checks required on British meat exported to Northern Ireland (PA)

The UK’s meat industry faces a permanent loss of up to half of all its exports because of ongoing problems with “mountains” of Brexit red tape, a leading trade body has warned.

The British Meat Processors Association (BMPA) said “systemic weaknesses” in current trade arrangements meant a potential loss of trade for UK exporters of between 20 and 50 per cent.

A new report by the BMPA found meat producers also face up to £120m a year in extra trading costs every year because of the deal forged by Boris Johnson’s government at the end of last year.

The body has urged the government to seek a new agreement on food standards with Brussels to ease problems sending food to both EU, and from Great Britain into Northern Ireland.

It wants Downing Street to forge a “common veterinary area” with the EU so standards could be made equivalent – removing many of the checks currently needed at the borders.

• Plant and animal checks ‘permanent barrier’ to trade, study warns
• Reopen EU talks to help rescue services trade, PM told
• David Frost appointment ‘hits hopes of deal to lift border checks’

“The export hurdles we face are now in plain sight and are not going away,” said chief executive Nick Allen. “We need government to urgently re-engage with both the industry and the EU to work out detailed and lasting solutions.”

Last year’s UK-EU trade deal failed to include an agreement to avoid form-filling and physical inspections on plant and animal products.

Peter Hardwick, the BMPA’s trade policy adviser, said the current level of “trade friction” experienced by British meat exporters was “enormous, absolutely enormous”.

Speaking to MPs on the international trade committee on Thursday, he urged the government to consider a veterinary agreement with the EU to help “reduce that friction”.

Mr Hardwick said it was taking “twice as long and costs us twice as much to get products to the EU as it did before the end of the transition period”.

It comes as a new report by peers urged the government to consider an agreement with EU on common standards to reduce the “substantial barriers” for British traders.

A report by the Lords EU goods sub-committee warned small firms are “feeling the squeeze” since the limited Brexit trade deal with Brussels came into force in January.

The peers’ report cautioned that, without action, the physical checks currently in place on animal and plant products could become a “permanent barrier to trade” – with meat and live shellfish products particularly badly hit by the new inspection regime.

David Frost looks on as Boris Johnson signs Brexit trade deal (PA)

Baroness Verma, the committee’s chairwoman, said: “The Brexit trade deal struck with the EU may have prevented the nightmare of a no-deal exit for the UK, but a lot of unfinished business remains between the two sides.”

She added: “The government must take an ambitious approach to trade ties with the EU. Swift action and further funding is needed to minimise future disruption.”

The peers’ report notes that Maros Sefcovic, the EU Commission’s vice-president, said last month that an agreement on common standards was still “on the table”.

However, The Independent revealed last month that the prospect of fresh talks with Brussels had been dashed by the appointment of hardliner David Frost, the trade deal negotiator, as the new Brexit minister.