Great Britain’s departure from the European Union could mean that it will start imposing quality-based standards on food imports, a government minister has suggested.
Speaking to a group of farmers in early January, environment secretary Theresa Villiers stated that the United Kingdom might start placing tariffs on imports from countries that the UK determines to have low farming and safety standards.
“We want to ensure all our food comes from countries that meet our standards,” Villiers said, according to a report in The Guardian.
Under the EU’s terms, individual countries are not allowed to charge tariffs on each others’ products. But the UK’s impending Brexit from the EU, made certain by the last election, will leave it free to impose any tariffs it sees fit.
The Guardian reported that Villiers’ remarks, at the Oxford Farming Conference, met with a cool reception. After her speech, the hundreds in the audience were asked to raise their hands if they thought she would protect their interests against the UK’s agricultural trading partners. No hands were raised.
