US says UK trade deal includes beef exports

President Donald Trump and his trade team announced a trade deal with the UK at a press conference in the White House on Thursday. Trump said the deal is “comprehensive” while his trade secretary Howard Lutnick said the deal would include “beef”.

When asked whether the UK would accept US beef, Trump said that the UK would “take what they want” and went on to say that the measures being introduced by Robert Kennedy, US Secretary of Health, meant that US food production was going to involve fewer chemicals in future. He added that the US has “all kinds of beef”.

Brooke Rollins, US Secretary for Agriculture, speaking at the same event said that “it can’t be understated how important this deal is for US farmers.

“Specific to the beef, this is going to exponentially increase our beef exports. To be very clear American beef is the safest, the best quality and the crown jewel for American agriculture.”

She added that the US trade team would be looking at deals for all of US meat and crop exports. She said that she will be in the London next week to move the deal forward with her counterparts in the UK.

The press conference was very light on details as to what kind of, or how much beef would be allowed into the UK.

UK prime minister Kier Starmer said that his country had “agreed the basis of an historic economic prosperity deal” which he said would “grant unprecedented market access for our farmers without compromising our high standards.”

See here for analysis for what kind of beef access the US could get to the UK market if London insists on hormone and chemical-free beef imports only.