Two Scottish Ministers have hit out at the UK Governments trade deal with New Zealand, noting the EU has secured more favourable terms for its farmers.
Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon and Trade Minister Ivan McKee pointed to a stark contrast between the two agreements, with the EU securing the same market access for its exporters but seemingly better safeguards for domestic producers.
The pair went on to warn the UK deal has left Scottish farmers on an unlevel playing field.
In a joint letter to UK Minister of State for Trade Policy Penny Mordaunt, Ms Gougeon and Mr McKee said: The UKs deal emphasises the futility and economic self-harm of the UK Government leaving the EU, making its own trade agreements and then ending up with a worse deal than if we had stayed in the EU.
In the first year of its Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the UK will allow 12,000 tonnes of New Zealand beef into the UK, while the EU has agreed to only 3,333 tonnes across all 27 EU countries.
By year 15, the UK Government will allow 60,000 tonnes of New Zealand beef into the UK and after that an unlimited quantity, while the EU will cap imports at 10,000 tonnes and still apply a 7.5 per cent tariff.
Similarly for sheepmeat, the UK FTA allows 50,000 tonnes into the country by year 15, with no limit on imports after that. The EU-New Zealand FTA, however, allows a maximum of 38,000 tonnes.
In both cases, this is in addition to the current World Trade Organisation country-specific quota for sheepmeat imports from New Zealand, which already provides significant market access for New Zealand producers.
Secured
The Scottish Ministers said: "In return for this limited access to the EU market, New Zealand is offering the EU full tariff liberalisation on EU exports to New Zealand from day one, which is the same outcome as the UK Government secured for UK exports.
"So it seems clear that the EU has secured the same market access for its exporters at a much lower cost to its domestic producers."
Ms Gougeon and Mr McKee have called on the UK Government to set out what mitigations and compensation it will put in place for economic sectors and communities that suffer as a result of trade deals.
Minister for Trade Ranil Jayawardena said: "Yet again the SNP do down Scottish farmers and food producers. Our deal with New Zealand will increase bilateral trade by almost 60 per cent and open even greater opportunities, including paving the way to accession to the Trans-Pacific Partnership - a trading area worth 9 trillion.
"The British Government will continue to champion farmers and food producers across the country."
Farmers Guardianunderstands the two Scottish Ministers will receive a response to their letter in due course.
