Compassion in World Farming and Animal Policy International are warning that an imminent UK-US trade deal, that may be rushed through in response to Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’, poses a significant threat to the UK’s animal welfare standards and higher welfare British farmers. While the government has emphasised it will maintain food safety regulations, it has not confirmed how it will also address the substantial animal welfare gap between UK and US production systems.

Recent statements from government officials ahead of the US Administration’s announcements on tariffs, appear to confirm that while the UK will maintain its ban on hormone-treated beef and chlorine-washed chicken, it is "looking to compromise in other areas" including "eliminating tariffs of up to 12 per cent on US beef, chicken and pork." Based on reporting in The Times and Politico, it appears the Government’s red lines are primarily focused on maintaining existing import bans, which would only cover SPS (Sanitary and Phytosanitary) standards. However, this narrow focus risks the UK eliminating tariffs on products that violate domestic UK animal welfare laws. This would create a dangerous loophole that would allow imports produced using practices that would be illegal for British farmers.

Anthony Field, Head of Compassion in World Farming UK, said: “In trade talks with the USA, the UK Government must avoid repeating the mistakes of the UK-Australia trade agreement, which allowed lower animal welfare imports into the UK. This deal risks further opening the floodgates for the import of meat, eggs or dairy into the UK that may have been produced in systems that are banned here, such as the use of battery cages for laying hens and sow stalls for pigs.

“It is unfair to British farmers to require them to meet certain welfare standards while allowing tariff-free access to lower-welfare imports. This deal risks negatively impacting the UK’s current animal welfare standards for decades to come – undermining our farmers and hard-won animal welfare improvements, jeopardising our food security and outsourcing animal cruelty. The public supports putting restrictions or bans on lower-welfare imports that do not meet UK production standards. The Government should be reflecting that in trade talks and requiring all imports to meet UK legal standards for animal welfare and positioning the UK as a champion of higher welfare farming.”

Mandy Carter, Co-Executive Director of Animal Policy International, said: “Focusing solely on food safety measures while ignoring animal welfare requirements widens an already dangerous loophole. British farmers who follow higher welfare standards mandated by UK law will be undermined by imports from production systems that would be illegal here.”  

“This issue of the UK effectively having our feet held to the fire over trade highlights why we urgently need legislation to protect UK standards and prevent them being negotiated away in trade deals. It’s common sense: if it's too cruel to produce in Britain, then, it’s too cruel to import into Britain.”

The regulatory gap between UK and US animal welfare standards is stark:

• Pig welfare: Sow stalls remain legal in 39 US states but have been banned in the UK since 1999
• Hens: Battery cages banned in the UK since 2012 are only prohibited in eleven US states
• Painful procedures: Tail docking and castration on pigs are routinely performed without pain relief in the US
• Slaughter: US poultry are excluded from humane slaughter laws with no federal requirement for stunning

Antibiotic use in US farming is on average 5 times higher than in the UK, with up to 16 times higher in cattle farming.

A recent survey shows 84% of British people - 5 out of 6 - support restricting or banning low-welfare imports that don't meet UK standards. Animal Policy International says this overwhelming public sentiment should be reflected in trade policy and is calling on the government to introduce legislation ensuring all agricultural imports meet the same animal welfare standards required of British farmers, not just food safety requirements.

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For more information email media.team@ciwf.org or call 01483 521 615.

Notes to Editor

• Currently, except for slaughter regulations, no UK farmed animal welfare standards legally apply to imports.
• While the UK Government has stated that standards preventing hormone-treated beef and chlorine-washed chicken will remain in place, these represent only a fraction of the animal welfare concerns in US production.
• Polling data is from the 2023 poll from Bryant Research showing that 84% – 5 out of 6 people – support putting restrictions or bans on low-welfare imports that do not meet UK production standards.
• Defra has committed to "protect farmers from being undercut by low welfare and low standards in trade deals.”