Reeves heads to US to push for trade deal
23rd April 2025
Farming groups have warned Reeves not to sacrifice British food and farming as she arrives in Washington to discuss a trade deal with the US.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has arrived in Washington to discuss a trade deal with the US, in hopes of avoiding tariffs on UK exports to the US.
The chancellor will meet with her G7, G20 and International Monetary Fund (IMF) counterparts, hoping to cut US tariffs on British steel, aluminium and cars.
The NFU said there are concerns that the UK is under pressure to weaken standards as part of a new trade deal.
Trump announced at least a 10% tariff on all all imports to the US from 5th April, with many countries subject to higher tariffs from 9th April.
Reeves said she will make the case for open trade and “stand up for Britain’s national interest” during her three-day visit.
Official figures show borrowing hit £151.9bn in the year up to March, an increase of £20.7bn compared to the year before – putting more pressure on public finances ahead of the impact of the US tariffs being felt.
Impact on agriculture
NFU president Tom Bradshaw said there are concerns that the US administration is pressuring the UK government to weaken its Sanitary and Phytosanitary (SPS) standards, as a concession for lower tariffs or as part of a new trade deal.
“This could lead to imports of products that would be illegal for our farmers to produce domestically,” he said.
“British farmers and growers uphold some of the highest standards in the world, taking great pride in their commitment to animal welfare, food safety and environmental standards from farm to fork.
“The public has shown time and time again that they want the beef, pork and chicken they buy produced responsibly and not using methods that were rightly banned in the UK decades ago.
“Ministers have consistently pledged to protect British farmers and uphold the UK’s high standards for food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection in all future trade negotiations.
“We will continue to work with the government to ensure these commitments are upheld and that standards are not compromised.”
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Commenting on Reeves’s visit to the US, Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said:
“Letting in cheap food that’s illegal to produce here isn’t trade – it’s betrayal.
“It undermines the very standards we ask our farmers to uphold, while piling pressure on businesses already struggling with rising costs and punitive taxes.”
British farmers grow 65% of the food consumed in this country, and they need support, not trade deals that put livelihoods on the table, she added.
“If globalisation is dead, as Labour now claims, then British farming must live. But that means a government willing to back those that feed us, not sell them out.”
“New era of global trade”
Speaking ahead of her visit to the US, Reeves said: “The world has changed, and we are in a new era of global trade. I am in no doubt that the imposition of tariffs will have a profound impact on the global economy and the economy at home.
“This changing world is unsettling for families who are worried about the cost of living and businesses concerned about what tariffs will means for them.
“But our task as a government is not to be knocked off course or to take rash action which risks undermining people’s security.
“Instead, we must rise to meet the moment and I will always act to defend British interests as part of our Plan for Change.”
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