A huge delegation of US food and agricultural officials will descend on the UK next week with the aim of boosting trade between the two nations.
The trade mission on 22-24 June will be led by US Department of Agriculture (USDA) deputy secretary Jewel Bronaugh.
Dr Bronaugh will be flanked by government officials from 13 states, along with 37 representatives of US agribusinesses and farming organisations.
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In a statement, Dr Bronaugh described the UK as one of America’s top trading partners, taking $1.9bn (£1.57bn) of US agricultural exports in 2021.
“The United Kingdom presents strong marketing opportunities for many US consumer-oriented products,” Dr Bronaugh said.
“The United States enjoys a well-deserved reputation as the provider of world-class agricultural products that meet the demands of consumers around the globe. I’m very excited to lead a delegation to the United Kingdom, one of our top trading partners.”
The delegation, drawn from livestock, arable and horticultural trade bodies, will hold face-to-face talks with UK buyers and take part in site visits.
Trade barriers
However, trade barriers remain in place between the two nations 18 months after president Joe Biden assumed office, inherited from his predecessor Donald Trump.
The UK government had been pressing the Trump administration for a free-trade deal between the two nations. But last September Mr Biden rejected such a deal during a visit by prime minister Boris Johnson.
Mr Biden was thought to be reluctant to enter such an agreement because of concerns about the UK’s continuing row with the EU over Northern Ireland.
Instead, since last autumn, the UK has been seeking to arrange a plethora of mini-deals on a state-by-state basis. A dozen mini-deals are under negotiation, and the first was signed with the state of Indiana at the start of June.
The Indiana agreement cuts red tape for British businesses looking to operate in the Midwestern state and allows them to bid for state government contracts.
According to UK ministers, the mini-deal approach appears to have prompted a rethink on the White House’s stance, and a federal deal may be back on the agenda in the coming months.
Visits
Recent visits to the US by Defra secretary George Eustice and deputy international trade secretary Penny Mordaunt have raised the prospects for such a deal.
Ms Mordaunt told news service City AM she was hopeful an official UK-US negotiating round would happen later this year.
And in April Mr Eustice met US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack in Washington, along with farmers and food processors in Pennsylvania.
After the visit Mr Eustice said open markets were an important part of UK food security.
However, UK farming organisations remain wary of a trade deal which could lead to an increase in cheap imports that fall below domestic health, welfare and quality standards.
Mr Eustice sought to allay fears, telling an organic farming conference in April that deals could be made with firms meeting higher, private-scheme standards.
“We are exploring whether we could recognise local producer accreditation that is much closer to our own,” Mr Eustice told the Soil Association’s agroecology conference.
He also said discussions were continuing about British lamb exports to the US.
“They’ve already given us an export health certificate to use and there are a few final creases to iron out,” Mr Eustice said.
