UK

QMS points to the British Parliament: You still have to reach a deal!

Brexit

Chief Executive Alan Clarke welcomed clarity on the tariff arrangements but relayed his disappointment in the time it had taken for this critical information to be published.

Posted on Mar 14 ,13:38

QMS points to the British Parliament: You still have to reach a deal!

The UK Government’s temporary import tariff regime in the case of a no-deal Brexit paints a mixed picture for Scotland's red meat sector, according to Chief Executive Alan Clarke. Despite the vote where MPs rejected a no-deal Brexit, a deal still needs to be achieved by 29 March in order to avoid an unregulated exit from the EU. Nevertheless, applying tariffs to imported beef, sheepmeat and pigmeat is seen as a reassuring measure that suggests there would be a defence against a sudden rush of product from low-cost producing nations, said Alan Clarke.
"However, the introduction of a temporary tariff rate quota for beef at zero tariff open to any country, plus the continuation of existing tariff rate quotas for non-EU product like New Zealand lamb and some beef categories, mean that most of the deliveries of beef and sheepmeat to the UK will be as business as usual. The exception is pigmeat products where modest import tariffs will be applied and will offer some support for domestic market prices", considers Mr Clarke.
He emphasized that the most potentially concerning proposal for domestic producers is that the announcement makes clear that any new tariff arrangements will not apply to direct trade between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
"The provision has been made for unconstrained movement of product directly from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland, while the proposed new tariff rate quota could also be used for direct shipments of beef from Ireland to the UK. The monitoring of these two trade flows will be crucial to avoid unintended consequences for Scotland’s red meat products,” said Mr Clarke.
Still, tariffs can protect to some extent the UK red meat sector but the challenge of market access to Europe and globally for all red meat products, which is of particular concern to the sheepmeat sector, remains unresolved, observes QMS Chief Executive.

 NEWSLETTER - Stay informed with the latest news!

Comments





Similar articles

GERMANY

Vion strengthens demand-driven chain concept Good Farming Balance for the future

Ever since Vion introduced Good Farming Star in 2010, the company has been at the forefront of bu...


Read more Read more
DENMARK

Danish Crown becomes co-owner of promising climate technology

It may sound strange that a burning gas torch at a slurry tank can reduce the climate footprint o...


Read more Read more
GERMANY

Germany: Poultry meat and eggs are produced sustainably and are important for a balanced diet

The recommended amount of meat consumed does not correspond in any way to the national consumptio...


Read more Read more
Websolutions by Angular Software and SpiderClass