Donald Trump 'respects and understands' UK's food standards red line in trade deal, Rachel Reeves says

Tomorrow, Ms Reeves will also hold her first face-to-face meeting with American counterpart Scott Bessant for talks on an economic deal between the US and UK.

Securing such a deal with the US acquired a new sense of urgency earlier this month when Mr Trump announced sweeping tariffs on imports from the rest of the world.

These included 10 per cent levies on all UK goods – then the lowest level imposed on any country – along with 25 per cent tariffs on steel and cars.

Reports in the US have suggested that Mr Trump’s team is pushing for chicken treated in chlorine and hormone-fed beef to be allowed access to the UK market.

However, yesterday both Ms Reeves and the Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, appeared to rule this out.

The Chancellor told BBC News: “We've been really clear since the beginning of our discussions with our US counterparts, that we're not going to be reducing agricultural standards in the UK, and the US administration respect and understand that.

“We have high standards to support British farming and support British consumers, and we're not going to be relaxing those standards.”

While in Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, Sir Keir responded to a question from Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey about whether there would be a House of Commons vote on any trade deal agreed with the US.

“We will negotiate, as he would expect, in the national interest and uphold the highest animal welfare standards,” Sir Keir said.

“We are making progress on that and then there will be a process if a deal is reached.”

Ms Reeves said Mr Trump’s administration is “keen to do a deal with the UK, reflecting the closeness of that relationship”.

She also suggested that she would look to go beyond a deal on tariffs, including a “technology partnership” and “building on the close relationship we have on security and national defence”.

The Chancellor told Semafor’s World Economic Summit: “This isn’t just about damage limitation, it’s also about what the next step is.”

It comes as agricultural groups urged Ms Reeves not to “sell out” British farming in any deals or agreements.

Victoria Vyvyan, president of the Country Land and Business Association (CLA), said: “Letting in cheap food that’s illegal to produce here isn’t trade – it’s betrayal. It undermines the very standards we ask our farmers to uphold, while piling pressure on businesses already struggling with rising costs and punitive taxes.

“Right now, British farmers grow 65 per cent of the food that feeds the 70 million people in this country – an incredible triumph of hard work and high standards. They need support, not trade deals that put livelihoods on the table.

“If globalisation is dead, as Labour now claims, then British farming must live. But that means a government willing to back those that feed us, not sell them out."