If the U.S. and U.K. were to strike a trade deal that doesn’t include opening up the U.K, market to more U.S. farm goods, that would be a no-go in Congress.
Senate Finance Committee Chair Chuck Grassley’s comments are in direct opposition to London’s official negotiating objectives that were made public on Monday.
Politico says those objectives included maintaining the U.K.’s strict food safety and animal welfare standards. If it sounds familiar, it should.
Agriculture has long been the biggest sticking point in separate but stalled negotiations with the European Union.
Trade officials are now aiming to establish a mini deal by March 18.
The mini agreement could contain some agriculture concessions from Brussels, but Politico says it likely won’t kick the door open for U.S. meat products.
The EU’s top trade official, Bernd Lange, was recently in Washington, D.C., to talk to administration officials and lawmakers.
Questioned by reporters about the possibility of the EU opening more of its market to U.S. farm goods and dropping their non-tariff barriers, Lange’s answer was, “On agriculture, everyone knows that this is not possible.
