Cattle Producers Urge Ottawa to Terminate UK Trade Deal

The Canadian Cattle Association (CCA) is calling on Ottawa to end the Canada–UK Continuity Agreement, arguing that the United Kingdom has failed to honour its commitments and continues to block Canadian beef exports. 

The call follows the introduction earlier this week of legislation to implement the U.K.’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). The CCA contends that, despite repeated warnings and years of discussion, the UK has not acted to remove non-tariff barriers that prevent Canadian beef from entering its market. 

“We’re calling on all parliamentarians to stand up for Canadian beef producers,” CCA President Tyler Fulton said in a release Thursday. “In these uncertain geopolitical times, we need every opportunity to diversify our markets.” 

Since 2023, UK beef exports to Canada have surged from $16.6 million to $42.5 million in 2024 — a 156% increase — while Canadian beef exports to the UK have dropped to zero in both 2024 and 2025. From January to August 2025 alone, UK beef imports totalled $32.2 million, up 19% from the same period in 2024. 

The CCA argues that the UK’s ongoing refusal to accept Canada’s meat inspection and production standards violates international trade rules. Specifically, the UK continues to apply the European Union’s hormone-treated beef ban — despite a 1997 World Trade Organization (WTO) ruling against it — and refuses to grant full systems approval to Canada’s “world-class” meat hygiene system. 

The Continuity Agreement, enacted in April 2021 after Brexit, was meant to serve as a bridge until a permanent bilateral deal could be reached within three years. However, the UK withdrew from negotiations.  

CCA leaders say terminating the continuity deal would allow both sides to restart talks on fair, rules-based trade that benefits farmers and consumers alike.