Canadian Ranchers Demand Trade Agreement Review with UK

Canada’s ranchers are urging the federal government to end its trade agreement with the United Kingdom since Brexit. This push aims to persuade the British government to remove barriers to Canadian meat exports and return to negotiations.

“We’re calling on all parliamentarians to stand up for Canadian beef producers,” saeid Tyler Fulton, president of the Canadian Cattle Association (CCA), during a Thursday news conference on Parliament Hill.

“In thes uncertain geopolitical times, we need every opportunity to diversify our markets,” Fulton added. “The U.K. hasn’t addressed the non-tariff barriers keeping Canadian beef out of the U.K. market.”

Canadian producers’ exports to the U.K. have been effectively zero for the past two years, while british exports to Canada have significantly increased.Ranchers believe this imbalance is unfair.

The CCA reports British beef imports into Canada rose from $16.6 million in 2023 to $42.5 million in 2024 – a 156 per cent year-over-year increase. From January to August 2025,imports totalled $32.2 million, up 19 per cent from the same period in 2024.

When the U.K.left the European Union in 2020, its trade policy became self-reliant. Canada initially agreed to continue offering the U.K. the preferential trade terms it enjoyed under the Canada-Europe Extensive and Economic Trade Agreement (CETA) while a new bilateral agreement was negotiated.

Though, this “continuity” deal maintained CETA’s beneficial tariff cuts and its trade irritants, including a dispute over food safety standards for butchering Canadian cattle.

Canada’s regulations align with American slaughterhouses after years of cross-border integration with the U.S.

Canadian ranchers argue that different, yet equivalent, safety regulations in the EU and now the U.K. effectively block Canadian beef exports.Canada specifically negotiated concessions to sell meat in these markets, but these regulations remain a hurdle.

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