A potential clash over hormone-treated Canadian beef is emerging as a sticking point as free trade talks between Canada and Britain formally begin.
U.K. Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan and her Canadian counterpart, Mary Ng, are announcing the start of talks today in Ottawa.
Britain and Canada have already negotiated an interim trade agreement to replace the broader Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, or CETA, that Canada negotiated with the European Union.
Britain’s decision to leave the EU after its Brexit referendum meant that it was forced out of CETA at the end of 2020.
Britain and Canada reached an interim deal that preserved the main elements of CETA, including the elimination of tariffs on 98 percent of Canadian exports to Britain.
But in an interview with The Canadian Press, Trevelyan confirmed her government would not compromise on allowing hormone-treated Canadian beef into Britain.
