US demands for post-Brexit trade revive chlorinated chicken dispute
There are fears US demands for greater access to Britain's supermarkets could scupper hopes of an agreement.
Friday 1 March 2019 15:04, UK
The US has set out its negotiating objectives for a post-Brexit trade deal with the UK, including a demand for "comprehensive market access" for agricultural goods.
In a 15-page document, the Office of the US Trade Representative (USTR) detailed what it hopes to achieve from an agreement with the UK, once Britain leaves the EU.
As well as securing "duty-free access for US textile and apparel products", the paper reveals a wish to "establish a mechanism to remove expeditiously unwarranted barriers that block the export of US food and and agricultural products".
This is included in a section titled "Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures".
There have been fears US demands for greater access to Britain's supermarkets could scupper the hopes of a trade deal, due to a possible request for the lowering of UK food standards.
The issue has notably focussed on chlorine-washed poultry, which is widespread in the US but has been banned in the EU since 1997.
The practice of washing chicken carcasses in chlorinated water is done to kill any bacteria on the meat after slaughter as well as to reduce the risk of contamination from the bird's digestive tract.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove has ruled out chlorinated chicken being allowed into the UK as part of any US trade deal, although International Trade Secretary Liam Fox has previously said there are "no health reasons" why UK consumers should not enjoy chlorine-washed meat.
Dr Fox has since said British consumers "wouldn't stand" for a dilution of food standards.
Prime Minister Theresa May's official spokesman said on Friday: "We have been clear we will not lower food standards as part of future trade deals."
The USTR document also includes an objective to "increase opportunities for US firms to sell US products and services to the UK" under government procurement contracts.
Brexiteers have previously called for American healthcare companies to compete with the NHS to run hospitals once the UK leaves the EU.
Concerns over privatising elements of the NHS were at the centre of opposition to the proposed EU-US trade deal, known as the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), prior to the Brexit vote.
Donald Trump has since withdrawn from negotiations over TTIP, with the president preferring bilateral trade deals rather than wider agreements with trading blocs.
A Whitehall source downplayed the stance on agriculture set out by the US document, suggesting the US government is bound by law to make demands on behalf of its farmers at the start of trade talks.
They added: "UK is not going to compromise on food standards."
The UK's own negotiating objectives for a US trade deal are expected to be published by the Department for International Trade (DIT) in the coming weeks, which should include the UK's own position on government procurement.
The source said they expected a US and UK trade deal to land "somewhere in the middle" of the two sets of objectives.
Tory MP and prominent backbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg welcomed the publication of the US document.
He told Sky News: "It is a positive first step, freer trade with the US would be good for UK consumers as it would open markets to greater competition.
"It is encouraging that the US wants to move quickly and has made the first move before we have left."
However, former Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron, a supporter of the Best for Britain campaign for a second EU referendum, claimed the document "shows the duplicity of Leave campaigners".
He said: "Only last week Michael Gove told the National Farmers Union that farmers would be protected by tariffs after Brexit.
"Now it's clear that the US won't allow that in a trade deal and wants to flood us with chlorine-washed chicken and hormone-pumped beef.
"But the British people won't be force-fed low quality products or a bad Brexit deal.
"That's why we need a public vote."
A DIT spokesperson said: "Negotiating an ambitious free trade agreement with the US that maintains our high standards for businesses, workers and consumers is a priority.
"So we welcome the US government publishing their objectives, which demonstrates their commitment to beginning talks as soon as possible.
"As part of our open and transparent approach to negotiations, we will publish our own negotiating objectives in due course."