Buy US chlorinated chicken in return for lower tariffs, Trump tells Britain
3 April 2025, 18:00 | Updated: 4 April 2025, 09:04
Britain needs to buy US chlorine-washed chicken in return for lower tariffs, Donald Trump has demanded.
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The US President's comments come in the wake of his 'Liberation Day' announcements, with the UK facing hefty 10% tariffs on all goods imported by the US.
As a result, Starmer's government has now opened a four-week consultation with businesses on the possible implications of retaliatory tariffs.
Speaking on Thursday, Trump told Britain should be eating more US food, with the White House statement reading: “The UK maintains non-science-based standards that severely restrict US exports of safe, high-quality beef and poultry products.”
Speaking on the subject of US meat-processing practices, Rachel Reeves declared last year: “We’re not going to allow British farmers to be undercut by different rules and regulations in other countries.
“We opposed [allowing the imports] in the last parliament, and that won’t change.”
Following the statement, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said the UK is not faced with "a choice between the US and the EU".
The US has long argued that washing meat in chemicals reduces the risk imposed to humans by pathogens - including salmonella.
However, it's a theory long rebuked by Europeans, who are known to have higher hygiene standards on average when it comes to their meat processing practices.
Labour MP Stella Creasy (Walthamstow) said: "I suspect that the opposition front bench, if they're still trying to propagate the arguments of 2016, are a bit drunk on chlorinated chicken. We need to get real.
"Celebrating a tariff of 10% rather than 20% is like celebrating that when you got mugged, they only took your wallet and not your watch as well.
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"That's why the British public deserve better. That's why I'm grateful that the Secretary of State is talking about our relationship with Europe, because who knows what President Trump will bring next week?
"We do five times more business with the European Union than we do with America. It is in our interest to have a close and stable trading relationship with Europe, but right now that is up for grabs too."
Mr Reynolds replied: "No-one is celebrating the position we find ourselves in as a country this morning. No-one is celebrating that. We recognise the differential that the UK finds itself in.
"But all of us, I believe all sides of the House, are disappointed by the announcements from the United States and are seeking to provide a way through that.
"I reiterate to her, I know she goes very strongly about this. This is not a choice between the US and the EU. It doesn't have to be. These are two key and long-term and important trading partners, and actually security and defence partners as well."
