In view of a post-Brexit UK-US trade deal, the American authorities have started preparations by seeking public consultation. Out of the 133 replies, the vast majority comes from US industry associations.
For example, The Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates and National Grain and Feed Association wish to remove the precautionary principle that is applied to food standards and chemicals safety within the EU. Another demand relates to the “mutual recognition of equivalence in safety measures”, which implies the introduction of hormone-treated beef or chlorine-bleached chicken to the UK. The UK’s tests and labels on GMOs are also targeted due to the potential risk on bilateral trade flows for US exporters. The safety-first approach of chemicals regulation could also be affected, as the EU “precautionary hazard system” was noted to likely be an overburden for American companies. SOCMA suggests that REACH data sharing requirements, introduced in order to reduce animal testing, are not sufficiently protecting confidential business information. The US Grains Council wants the UK to follow US pesticides rules which allow the use of neonicotinoid ingredients currently banned in the EU due to risks to bees.
List of 133 replies to the public consultation
Huffington Post on US lobbyists’ asks to Donald Trump
The Society of Chemical Manufacturers & Affiliates’ demands
National Grain and Feed Association’s demands