Boris Johnson backs Australia free trade deal despite farmers’ fears
Boris Johnson believes Australia should be offered a free trade deal with the UK, despite fears domestic farmers could be hit by price competition from overseas.
Johnson will back plans to offer Australian agricultural exporters the same zero-tariff, zero-quota terms as those enjoyed by the European Union.
There has been backlash from the UK’s National Farmers Union to the deal, who still want tariffs and quotas on Australian food exporters to protect local producers.
Australia’s former foreign minister Alexander Downer said today that “Australia isn’t planning an avalanche of beef and sheep meat exports into the UK market”.
Johnson looks set to back the deal to ensure the post-Brexit “global Britain” agenda is fulfilled.
“In principal, the Prime Minister believes that we should be offering the same terms to Australia as we offer to the EU,” a source told the Times. “But this doesn’t mean there will be any reductions in the standards we require.”
It comes after reports of a “ferocious” row blazing in Whitehall over the deal.
Trade secretary Liz Truss was warned of political fallout from a zero-tariff deal by cabinet minister Michael Gove and environment secretary George Eustice.
Cabinet opponents of the deal are calling for some quotas and tariffs to remain on Australian food exports.
Speaking to Times Radio, Downer said: “Zero tariffs with quotas isn’t free trade, and that’s not going to happen. Australia would never agree with that.
“The Australian proposition is that all British goods regardless of what they are whether they are agricultural goods or Range Rovers or whatever it is could be exported to Australia without any quotas, and without any tariffs, so completely duty free.”
“Australia isn’t planning an avalanche of beef and sheep meat exports into the UK market. Australia’s markets are predominantly in Asia.”
Senior figures like Eustice are concerned concessions would become a baseline for future negotiations.
The deal is reportedly a particularly sensitive issue for Scottish farmers raising stock on less competitive land, who could be among those hardest hit by price competition.
SNP deputy first minister John Swinney said: “This proposed deal is a huge threat to Scottish agriculture. It will devastate the hill farming communities I represent and no self-respecting UK government could sign this.”