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President Donald Trump announced a trade deal with the United Kingdom on Thursday, which he and White House officials touted as boosting America’s agriculture industry, particularly beef producers.
The deal will see lower tariffs as well as reduced non-tariff barriers on a number of goods, including agricultural products, though the basic 10% tariff rate the Trump administration previously imposed will remain in place.
The White House said the deal will expand U.S. market access in the U.K. by $5 billion, including $250 million for agricultural products like beef. The U.S. and U.K. governments also committed to working to enhance industrial and agricultural market access.
“It can’t be understated… how important this deal is and what this means to American farmers and ranchers,” Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said. “Specific to the beef, this is going to exponentially increase our beef exports. And to be very clear, American beef is the safest, the best quality and the crown jewel of American agriculture for the world.”
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“The deal includes billions of dollars of increased market access for American exports, especially in agriculture, dramatically increasing access for American beef, ethanol and virtually all of the products produced by our great farmers,” Trump said.
“We have a lot of beef, we’re a very big country, so it’ll be great,” the president added.
The British government said there would be “reciprocal market access on beef” with British farmers given a tariff-free quota for 13,000 metric tons.
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The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) praised the announcement, calling it a “tremendous win for American family farmers and ranchers.”
“For years, American cattle producers have seen the United Kingdom as an ideal partner for trade. Between our countries’ shared history, culture, and their desire for high-quality American beef, securing a trade agreement is a natural step forward,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein, a cattleman from Nebraska.
The U.S. and U.K. indicated they will continue to negotiate a broader trade agreement that would cover pharmaceutical products while also reducing the remaining tariffs that have been imposed between the two countries.
Reuters contributed to this report.
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