Concerns over New Zealand Free Trade Agreement

The UK’s Free Trade Agreement with New Zealand will allow for much higher quantities of produce to come into the UK tariff-free, leaving “a lack of a level playing field between Scottish and New Zealand farmers”, Scottish Ministers have warned.

Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon and Trade Minister Ivan McKee have pointed to what appears to be a “stark contrast” with the agreement that the EU has secured with New Zealand - securing the same market access for its exporters but seemingly with better safeguards for its domestic producers.

In a joint letter to UK Government Minister of State for Trade Policy Penny Mordaunt, Ms Gougeon and Mr McKee said the UK’s deal “emphasises the futility and economic self-harm of the UK Government leaving the EU, making its own trade agreements, and then ending up with a worse deal than if we had stayed in the EU”.

Background

Concerns over Free Trade Agreement - full press release (gov.scot)

New Zealand trade agreement: letter to the UK Government - full joint letter (gov.scot)

ENDS

Published on: 22 August, 2022