U.K. envoy says new Pacific Rim trade deal quota can sidestep ongoing beef spat

OTTAWA –

Britain’s envoy to Canada says an uproar in the Prairies over an expanded trade deal could be overcome by ranchers rejigging their beef operations to meet U.K. standards.

In an interview, British High Commissioner to Canada Susannah Goshko says Brits don’t want their government to budge on barring imports of beef raised with certain hormones.

But groups like the Canadian Cattle Association say that concern isn’t based in science, and that the U.K. is already exporting far more beef to Canada than trade in the other direction.

The industry wants Canada to block Britain’s entry to a massive Pacific Rim trade bloc and halt the ongoing negotiations for a separate U.K.-Canada trade deal until the Brits change their stance.

Goshko says the solution might be for Canadian ranchers to instead change their way of raising cows, as the Pacific Rim deal will allow vastly more quantities of Canadian beef to reach Britain.

She adds that the ongoing trade talks for a bilateral deal can give both countries an edge over the European Union, particularly in green tech and smaller businesses.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 6, 2023