Major agricultural exporters disapprove of UK's proposed post-Brexit import quotas

Seven trading heavyweights have disapproved the UK government’s position on post-Brexit quotas
Seven trading heavyweights have disapproved the UK government’s position on post-Brexit quotas

The US has teamed up with other major agricultural exporters to reject Britain’s proposed import arrangements for crucial agricultural goods after Brexit.

The US and seven major agricultural exporters, including Canada, Brazil and New Zealand signed a letter to the EU objecting to a plan to split agricultural tariff rate quotas, or TRQs.

There is now a general consensus between UK and EU that TRQs should be divided based on historical imports and consumption.

“We cannot accept such an agreement,” the letter said. The seven countries are displeased that they had not been consulted on the negotiations.

“These TRQs were achieved through a delicate balance of concessions and entitlements that is fundamental to the global trade architecture today.”

It goes on to stress that no calculation of Britain’s tariff-rate quotas could be agreed at the WTO “without our agreement.”

The letter suggests that Britain and the EU could not just negotiate with each other, and that they might need to redo the entire system of import tariffs.

During the week of October 16, dubbed 'agriculture week' because of trade negotiations, the UK and EU will conclude their plan to other WTO members.

Among the UK’s plans is to ask that its new agricultural quotas schedule be established using a method called “technical rectification”, which would avoid having to secure approval from other WTO members.