Canadian ranchers are urging the Canadian government to end the trade agreement with the United Kingdom post-Brexit in a bid to resume Canadian meat exports to the UK market. Tyler Fulton, the president of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), emphasized the need for Canadian beef producers to have diversified market opportunities amid global uncertainties. He highlighted the lack of effort by the UK to address non-tariff barriers preventing Canadian beef entry while noting the substantial increase in British beef imports into Canada.
The value of British beef imports surged from $16.6 million in 2023 to $42.5 million in 2024, marking a 156% year-over-year rise. Between January and August 2025, imports totaled $32.2 million, up by 19% compared to the same period in 2024. Following Brexit, Canada maintained preferential trade terms with the UK under the Canada-Europe Comprehensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA). However, regulatory differences, particularly in food safety standards, have hindered Canadian beef exports to the UK, despite Canada’s concessions to meet market requirements.
The CCA criticized the UK for violating the continuity agreement terms by restricting Canadian beef based on regulatory disparities. Efforts to negotiate a permanent bilateral trade deal have stalled, prompting calls for renewed discussions to address market access issues comprehensively. Scientific and technical committees tasked with resolving regulatory discrepancies have faced challenges in making substantial progress.
In recent developments, legislation was introduced for the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), a move aimed at expanding trade partnerships post-Brexit. While seven CPTPP member countries have ratified the UK’s entry, Canada delayed its decision without providing an official reason. Prime Minister Mark Carney’s meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in Ottawa led to the announcement of forthcoming legislation to facilitate the treaty ratification process, involving parliamentary consultation and bill passage.
Canadian ranchers underscored the significance of upholding rules-based trade and resolving regulatory barriers to enhance market access for Canadian livestock producers and British products. The CCA emphasized the need for government support in advocating for Canadian beef producers. Despite the Conservatives’ historical support for closer trade relations with the UK, the bill to ratify the UK’s CPTPP membership is pending debate in the House of Commons. Prime Minister Carney outlined ambitions to boost trade diversification and double non-US exports over the next decade. Efforts to resume bilateral trade negotiations between Canada and the UK remain uncertain, despite ongoing economic and trade cooperation discussions between officials from both countries.
