David Jochinke, NFF Vice President, National Farmers’ Federation (NFF), Media Release, 5 May 2023
The National Farmers’ Federation welcomes the 5 May 2023 announcement that the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement will enter into force on 31 May 2023.
The FTA improves access to an important market for Australian farmers and will allow them to diversify their markets. It will importantly give UK customers the option of sustainable, high quality Australian produce on supermarket shelves to complement their existing home-grown options.
The agreement will eliminate tariffs on over 99 per cent of Australian goods to the UK. It includes elimination of all tariffs on wine, medium- and -short grain rice, honey, most seafood, processed foods, nuts, fruit and vegetables.
Further, the agreement includes significant new and commercially meaningful quotas and staged out-of-quota tariff reductions for beef, sheep meat, sugar, wheat and dairy.
The deal also establishes enhanced cooperation on key regulatory issues, including biosecurity, animal welfare and antimicrobial resistance.
The success of the Australia-UK FTA highlights the need for the Australian Government to ensure a good deal for farmers under the Australia-EU FTA. We need to see clear, beneficial market access for Australian farmers and cannot accept Geographical Indicators or punitive conditionality that disadvantages Australian producers.
