US negotiator makes co-operation plea ahead of possible trade deal
- Published
America's top negotiator has insisted UK trade talks are moving in the right direction but she refused to make a firm commitment to a free trade deal.
Katherine Tai urged the UK and the EU to work together to ensure that the risk from Brexit to the Northern Ireland peace process is eliminated.
Her comment came at the end of two days of talks in Aberdeen and London with UK counterpart Anne-Marie Trevelyan.
The UK government is keen to get a US deal, to show post-Brexit progress.
Plans have been floated for an Act of Parliament that would effectively revoke the protocol agreed with the European Union, risking the return of border posts around Northern Ireland and a destabilisation of the Good Friday peace agreement.
To provide building blocks to help improve trade relations, the Department for International Trade is pushing for agreements with individual US states and cities, although they have limited powers to change the rules of trade.
On the question of the plans for an Act of Parliament, Ambassador Tai told BBC Scotland: "This is a matter for the UK and for UK people to decide."
"We're watching closely and feel very, very strongly about the legacy of peace and prosperity on the island of Ireland and we care very much about the fate of all the people here."
She added: "Let me affirm that it's a big issue. We are watching, but it's actually a big issue for the UK and for Europe as well.
"There's a lot of interest in the US, from the president and from leading members of Congress, and also from our very, very large Irish-American population.
"We are fully supportive of the UK and EU continuing to bring co-operation and courage to the conversations between them."
Asked if the threat to repudiate the protocol is making the job of getting new free trade agreements more difficult, Ms Trevelyan responded: "The ambassador and I have discussed this at some length, and I have also with many members of Congress.
"We're all committed to the Good Friday agreement remaining absolutely solid, and that's in very large part about trade. So it's so important that the US and UK continue to have these conversations."
With the US agenda for trade talks expected to focus on farm subsidies, Katherine Tai said she and the US agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack, had been working closely, and wanted to remove the negative perceptions of free trade, to present it to trading partners as benefiting all sides.
Asked what message she would send to Aberdeenshire farmers about reducing subsidies, she said: "Agricultural trade is very important.
"We all support our farmers, but we all have an interest in international global trade in agriculture. It's important to food security, to all of our abilities to provide, and to promote prosperity and a sense of security for our citizens.
"We are very focused on approaches to trade in agriculture that are going to strengthen the economies of our respective trading partners and ourselves, and also the flow of agricultural trade around the world.
"So, in trade discussions, when we talk about agriculture, when this is seen as a difficult and contentious issue, there has to be a win-win approach to how we approach the production of food and trade in agriculture."
'Deal must be balanced'
The NFU reiterated its position that any negotiations must not undermine standards or protections, given the different regulatory approaches.
NFU President Minette Batters said: "Any trade deal between the UK and US must be balanced and provide wins for both sides.
"The US is already a major market for UK exports, with almost £2bn worth of exports sent in 2021. A trade deal could provide an opportunity for farmers to sell more great British food overseas.
"However, it's crucial our farmers are allowed to compete on fair terms. There are significant challenges in these negotiations that should not be underestimated, particularly the very different regulatory approaches to food safety, environmental protection and animal welfare between the UK and US."
The visit to Aberdeen included discussions with business leaders, representing Walker's Shortbread and American investors in the Glendronach distilleries group, along with a visit to energy engineering specialist Enpro-Subsea.
Also attending was Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham, who was there to discuss improving US trade links with the north of England.