Britain must allow US chlorine-washed chicken into UK markets if it wants relief from sweeping tariffs, Donald Trump has indicated.

It comes after the UK failed to avoid tariffs imposed on the global economy, with the US president slapping a 10 per cent levies on all British exports to the United States.

In a statement published alongside the tariff announcement, the White House said: “The UK maintains non-science-based standards that severely restrict US exports of safe, high-quality beef and poultry products.”

It suggested that Britain’s ban on chlorinated chicken was among a range of “non-tariff barriers” that limit the US’s ability to trade.

The UK has long ruled out allowing imports of chlorine-washed chicken from the US due to health concerns, with Downing Street on Thursday reiterating its manifesto commitment to high food standards.

Asked whether the UK could allow imports of chlorine washed chicken in order to appease the US, the prime minister’s officials spokesperson said: “Our position on that is unchanged. You’ve got the manifesto commitment on food standards, which obviously remains.”

The last major polling done on the issue, conducted in 2020, revealed that 80 per cent of Britons are opposed to allowing imports to the UK, and the same proportion is also against allowing chicken products that have been farmed using hormones.

There is also growing pressure from the farming industry to rule out concessions on the issue, amid fears it could undercut British farmers and drive down food standards.

Nigel Farage admitted he would allow American chlorine-washed chicken to be sold in the UK as part of a free trade deal with the US.

  • atempuser23@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    " > Nigel Farage admitted he would allow American chlorine-washed chicken to be sold in the UK as part of a free trade deal with the US.

    The tv commentator?

  • futatorius@lemm.ee
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    11 hours ago

    Don’t buy tainted food. Align as closely as possible with the EU and push back on this bullshit.

    • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
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      10 hours ago

      Or buy it for pet food. And demand the US buys our new fresh thames drinking water in exchange.

    • Jhex@lemmy.world
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      7 hours ago

      Literally to kill some of the filth the chickens are raised in and fool safety tests

      It’s a shortcut in regulations to allow cheaper conditions at the expense of consumers’ health and this was well established before Musk gutted the FDA

      Buying any food stuff from the USA from now on would be equivalent to a modern wet market

      • Pup Biru@aussie.zone
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        8 hours ago

        when i’m in the US i literally feel nauseous constantly, my lips tingle, and my tongue hurts… i don’t know what the fuck is in the food over there but something is absolutely fucking me up

    • Chakravanti@monero.town
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      56 minutes ago

      You’re not using enough words to properly describe. I don’t think there are enough words in existence to properly do so either.

  • webpack@ani.social
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    11 hours ago

    “The UK maintains non-science-based standards that severely restrict US exports of safe, high-quality beef and poultry products.”

    so now we care about science? but still not for climate change/vaccines

  • mrsjmccrimmon@feddit.uk
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    16 hours ago

    >It suggested that Britain’s ban on chlorinated chicken was among a range of “non-tariff barriers” that limit the US’s ability to trade.

    Non-tariff barriers like checks notes food safety.

    • HumanPenguin@feddit.uk
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      9 hours ago

      Non-tariff barriers like checks notes. Anything that questions the US rule he agrees with. As being anything but perfect.

      That is his real irritation. He dose not think animal welfare is important. So any nation that bases rules on things he disagrees with is wrong. And must bow to his superiority.

    • Jhex@lemmy.world
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      12 hours ago

      Non-tariff barriers like checks notes food safety.

      Yeap, what do you think they mean when they rally against “rEGulAtiOns”

      All they want is to cut costs and swallow extra profits

  • hitmyspot@aussie.zone
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    21 hours ago

    The issue is not that the chicken is chlorine washed. It’s that it needs to be chlorine washed to be safe because of the terrible industry practices.

    It’s bad for the animals, bad for the taste and bad for your health. So there is no reason to allow it when there is no supply issue. Food is more expensive but the savings from USA imports won’t change that in any significant way.

  • intheformbelow@lemmy.world
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    17 hours ago

    Well, let’s see if the UK will now be more interested in strengthening ties with Canada now that they are no longer spared. I don’t blame the UK for trying to stay out of the US-Canada tariff conflict, but eventually they’ll have to make hard decisions. Canada always stood by the UK, part of the British Empire, as a dominion and as an independent state. Canadians joined the UK to fight in both world wars, and many made the ultimate sacrifice which us, modern Canadians, honour with reverence. We never forgot our historical ties. Will the UK reciprocate?