US market to open doors to UK lamb from 2022

By Caribbean News Global

LONDON, England – Exports of British lamb to the US market can resume from next year after more than two decades of restrictions, reports Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Department for International Trade: “The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today confirmed it has amended the rule which currently prevents imports of lamb from the UK into the USA. The amended “small ruminant rule” will come into force on January 3, 2022.”

UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Department for International Trade noted that this new development means that over 300 million US consumers will soon be able to enjoy the UK’s world-renowned lamb. It is estimated that this market will be worth £37 million in the first five years of trade. In a call earlier today with his US counterpart secretary of agriculture Tom Vilsack, environment secretary George Eustice expressed his delight at the news. This comes after president Biden committed to lift the ban on British lamb during the prime minister’s visit to the White House in September, and follows an easing on restrictions on British beef exports earlier this year.

Environment secretary George Eustice, said:

“Today’s great news follows years of negotiations and builds on the success in securing the resumption of UK beef exports to the US. UK lamb is renowned for its high quality, food safety and welfare standards. Millions of US consumers will now be able to enjoy British lamb as early as next year. The US market for lamb is growing as consumer trends change and there are now new opportunities for farmers and meat processors in this market.”

The small ruminant rule (SRR) previously restricted access to the US market for all sheep meat from the UK, as well as a number of other countries including EU member states and Canada.

This development clears the way for Defra to work with the Department for International Trade (DIT) and UK food safety authorities, such as the FSA, DAERA and FSS, and counterparts in the USA, in completing the final necessary steps to achieving the full resumption of UK lamb exports to the USA.

International trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said:

“This is fantastic news that brings UK farmers a step closer to putting their first-class lamb on American menus for the first time in more than 20 years. The UK exported £436.4 million worth of lamb to the world last year and over £29 million worth of meat to the US. We want those numbers to grow and this win will help achieve that. Our teams are working hard to unlock multi-million-pound markets for brilliant UK businesses and I will be banging the drum for them when I visit the US next week.”