UK Farmers Feel Marginalized as US-UK Trade Pact Favors Car Industry

UK farmers are expressing frustration as the newly agreed US-UK trade pact prioritizes the car industry, leaving them feeling marginalized. The deal, which comes into effect on Monday, allows for the export of British-made cars, including Minis, Aston Martins, and Range Rovers, to the US with reduced tariffs. This has led to a surge in orders for carmakers, who had previously faced a 25% levy on their exports to the US.

However, the agricultural sector feels that it has been used as a bargaining chip to secure these auto gains. National Farmers’ Union president Tom Bradshaw criticized the government for repeatedly sacrificing agriculture in trade negotiations. He urged Labour leader Keir Starmer to protect the sector from further tariff concessions, warning that "agriculture has nothing left to give."

Under the trade pact, UK beef can enter the US duty-free, but only from January next year and within a 13,000-tonne quota that has already been claimed for 2025. Additionally, while the pact promised zero tariffs on steel, ongoing disputes over the origin of raw materials at Port Talbot have delayed full relief. A temporary reprieve lasts only until 9 July, with a lingering 25% duty on Welsh-made steel thereafter.

The car industry, on the other hand, is celebrating the reduction in tariffs. Adrian Hallmark, chief executive of Aston Martin, admitted that sales pauses between April and June were "not catastrophic, but slightly uncomfortable." With US inventories slashed by half during the tariff cliff, he plans to "invoice three months’ worth of sales in a 24-hour period" once the new rate kicks in. Smaller luxury brands, like Lotus, have also been closely watched, with assurances that the Norfolk factory will stay open, averting threats to more than 1,300 jobs after talks with owner Geely.

Industry bodies warn that time is running out to finalize the metal talks. Gareth Stace of UK Steel said daily delays cost hundreds of jobs and imperil investment, begging negotiators for a quick resolution to lift crippling duties. Even with a zero-tariff outcome, some plants, reliant on imported billets from India and the Netherlands while they retrofit greener smelting methods, may still face barriers unless specific carve-outs are secured.

For UK farmers, the picture is bleak: they’ve effectively subsidised lower car tariffs while their own exports remain restricted by filled quotas and offset concessions. As luxury SUVs set sail for America, Britain’s fields wonder when their turn will come, not as collateral damage, but as genuine beneficiaries of future trade deals.