UK meals gross sales to EU droop by a fifth after Brexit, minister reveals | EUROtoday

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Sign as much as our Brexit electronic mail for the newest perception

British meals gross sales to Europe have plummeted by a fifth since 2018, the farming minister has admitted, sparking requires Labour to slash post-Brexit purple tape and strike a meals requirements settlement with the EU.

Daniel Zeichner stated that whereas the UK’s present cope with the EU permits tariff-free entry to the bloc, leaving the only market and customs union has “had an impact on the export of agri-food products”.

“Agri-food trade with the EU has fallen since 2018 in real terms (after adjusting for trade inflation) by 20 per cent (exports) and 11 per cent (imports),” he added.

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The figures mark a shocking decline and are notably urgent as gross sales to the European Union make up 57 per cent of all UK meals exports, making it the Britain’s largest market by far, price £14bn in 2023.

The Brexit hit is attributable to new necessities for bodily, documentary and ID checks complicating meals commerce between the UK and Europe.

But Mr Zeichner stated it was troublesome to separate the consequences of Brexit from world shocks such because the Covid-19 pandemic and the signing of free commerce offers with different international locations comparable to New Zealand.

But SNP MP Stephen Gethins, who pressured Mr Zeichner to supply the evaluation, stated the figures confirmed Brexit had dealt “an entirely self inflicted blow to the economy and hard pressed rural communities”.

He instructed The Independent: “Some of the best food and drink produced anywhere in Europe comes from Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.

“Yet red tape due to the UK unnecessarily leaving the Single Market and the Customs Union has been devastating for those producers.

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“A hard Tory Brexit that threw up needless trade barriers is now a policy entirely owned by this Labour government. There is no need for this unnecessary and needless economic pain at a time when the UK continues to underperform economically.”

The revelation got here after Rachel Reeves confronted one other devastating blow as official figures confirmed the financial system had flatlined since Labour’s election victory. The chancellor now faces a serious problem to revive Britain’s financial fortunes or threat failing at Labour’s primary mission to spice up development.

And it comes as Sir Keir Starmer pursues an overhaul of Britain’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU, with the PM chasing nearer ties after years of acrimony beneath successive Tory leaders.

Liberal Democrat EU spokesman James MacCleary stated Mr Zeichner’s “stark” response completely highlights the challenges going through meals exporters post-Brexit.

He instructed The Independent: “The government’s inability to negotiate a proper veterinary agreement – a common-sense solution many have called for – is a glaring omission.

“The Liberal Democrats have long warned that this botched deal would place enormous red tape on our farmers and food producers, and these figures confirm the damage.

“We can’t afford to let this decline continue. Rebuilding trust and trade with our European neighbours must be a top priority, starting with securing a veterinary and phytosanitary agreement to ease trade barriers.”

Tom Brufatto, coverage director at marketing campaign group Best for Britain, stated: “Every day that Brexit trade barriers remain in place means less business for British exporters and more costs for importers, and in turn this has artificially inflated the price of the weekly shop.”

Mr Brufatto stated {that a} veterinary or animal well being cope with the EU would reduce some purple tape, however known as for a coverage of regulatory alignment with the bloc to additional take away limitations to commerce with Britain’s largest market.

Economist and former Green MP Molly Scott Cato stated post-Brexit purple tape has “hamstrung so many of our UK exporters in ways no one ever imagined”.

Ms Scott Cato, the senior vice chairman of European Movement UK, instructed The Independent: “As an economist I’m not at all surprised that making trade harder with our largest export market has had a negative impact on our economy. But we don’t have to just take this on the chin. There are actions we can take to address the trade barriers imposed by Brexit. Reaching a Veterinary Agreement to cut red tape and reduce border checks would be a practical first step.”

And former Liberal Democrat minister Sir Nick Harvey stated: “The chancellor can tinker around the edges, but addressing the economic damage done by Brexit must become a priority. We need an inquiry into what our relationship with Europe could look like. Future membership of the single market and customs union must be part of that conversation.”

Mr Zeichner stated: “We are working to reset our relationship with our European friends to strengthen ties and tackle barriers to UK-EU trade. We will seek to negotiate a veterinary, sanitary and phytosanitary agreement to boost trade and deliver benefits to businesses.

“We have been clear that our trading relationship can be improved but we are not rejoining the single market or customs union, and we will not return to freedom of movement.”