'Be careful, Sir Keir' - Cheesemaker's warning on trade deal

BBC News

11-04-2025

One of Britain's largest cheesemakers has warned the government not to "rush into a trade deal" with the US.Giles Barber's family has been operating in Ditcheat, Somerset, since 1833 and has become the UK's largest exported of cheese to the United States.Despite his cheddar facing the new 10% tariff on all imports from the UK into America, Mr Barber warned the prime minister not to sign a free trade deal too fast."Be careful, Sir Keir," he said. "I would rather see time and care taken over the terms of that deal, than to rush into it." The Prime Minister has said he will only sign a deal "if it's in the national interest".
Barber's Cheddar Cheese employs 400 people directly, and buys milk from 150 family farms in Somerset."We hold our farmers to some of the highest standards in the world," said Mr Barber, "in terms of animal welfare and environmental protection. "I want to make sure they are protected in a future trade deal."Farmers are worried that British rules on, for instance, not injecting cows with hormones, are not followed in America.If the UK was to sign a wide-ranging free-trade deal with the US, American beef, chicken or dairy products might be cheaper here, because they are produced to lower standards.
Farming unions have also warned of the dangers of "seeking an urgent trade deal".The presidents of the National Farmers' Union for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland issued a joint statement.It said: "Absolutely no one wants to see hormone treated beef, or pork or chicken treated with anti-microbial washes – which are banned here in the UK – sold on our market. "Those ways of production were banned in the 80s and 90s for a reason. They don't reflect our values and the farm to fork approach we are proud of in the UK, something we know the British people care deeply about."
The British government has always pledged not to water down standards in any trade deals. The prime minister recently repeated his pledge not to strike a deal "at any price".Sir Keir Starmer said: "I will only strike a deal if it's in the national interest".Asked in more detail about watering down food and farming standards, Jonathan Reynolds, the Business and Trade Secretary said: "The regime that we put in place in the UK, our food standards regime, that's the red line for us."That's a really important area that we wouldn't be able to negotiate on. And the US understands that."
Selling truckles in a trade war
Until there is a trade deal signed by Sir Keir Starmer and Donald Trump, truckles of Somerset cheddar will be a bit pricier in Texas.Over the last 15 years, Mr Barber has built up his American sales. Barber's cheddar is bought as a premium product, and he has some experience of selling in a trade war.In 2019 a dispute between the US and the EU blew up over aircraft. Boeing accused the EU of subsidising Airbus planes, and the President, Donald Trump, slapped a 25% tariff on various European exports, including cheese."There was an impact on demand in the short term," Mr Barber recalled. "But it recovered over the course of a year."So what's different now? Mainly, Mr Barber said, the trade war is global. Every import into the US will be more expensive, so "there will be a lot of price increases to the American consumer".If Americans are poorer, they may buy less fancy foreign cheese, and stick with their own cheaper brands.Nonetheless he is hopeful that "whilst we'll see some impact up front, it will moderate overtime".
Most British firms who trade with America are less hopeful.A new survey by the British Chambers of Commerce found that 62% of firms who export to the US said they would be "negatively impacted".Nearly half, 44%, said the UK government should try and sign a trade deal with Donald Trump.Shevaun Haviland, director general of the BCC, said: "We believe a deal can be done as the US has already been open to talks."But many, 40%, had braced themselves for worse.Laura Ward is one who admitted "when I heard it was 10%, I did breathe a very small sigh of relief".Ms Ward has developed a luxury tennis clothing brand, Exeat, in Timsbury, Somerset."We had prepared ourselves for 20% as a worst case scenario," she said.In fact, her firm may have found a silver lining to the dark economic clouds on the horizon.Several Asian manufacturing hubs are subject to much larger tariffs than the UK - which could have a larger impact on British businesses that make their products abroad."Many of our competitors manufacture out in China which may well close the door on America at least for the time being," said Ms Ward.