The British government announced on Friday the termination of its negotiations for a free trade agreement with Canada.
Started in March 2022 to replace the trade agreement that the United Kingdom previously enjoyed with Ottawa within the European Union, these discussions stumbled over disagreements over food products, in particular beef and cheese.
In exchange for quota-free imports of British cheddar or stilton, Canadians hoped to be able to export hormone-raised beef to the United Kingdom, much to the dismay of English farmers.
However, since January 1, the Canadian government has introduced customs duties of 245% on English cheeses.
The interruption of the talks is “
a relief for English farmers
,” said the president of the National Farmers Union, Minette Batters.
Farmers had already criticized the consequences of previous free trade agreements signed by London with Australia and New Zealand, fearing imports of cheap beef or lamb.
Conversely, the federation of British automobile producers is concerned about possible tariffs on its exports.
“
Canada seems to have lost sight of the importance of the issues
,” laments a British government source, citing the 26 billion pounds (30 billion euros) of annual bilateral trade.