This morning, the Prime Minister said that the Free Trade Agreement we signed with the European Union was “arguably one of the best dairy deals that anyone has had with the EU”. This isn’t arguable; it’s just false, National’s Trade & Export Growth spokesperson Todd McClay says.

“Not only is this incorrect, but this deal isn't close to the best. The UK has complete tariff elimination on dairy and meat, Canada has complete tariff elimination and can still use the name Feta, and the Mercosur trade agreement has better combined outcomes for dairy and meat than New Zealand.

“This comes after revelations that the Government had told negotiators weeks before the agreement was signed to stop pushing for commercially meaningful access for dairy and meat, and to simply do better than the status quo.

“This is incredibly infuriating and shows that the Prime Minister went to Europe to sign a deal irrespective of the outcome for dairy and meat. The EU knew this and offered us very little in return.

“As a result, future negotiations with other countries will be much more difficult. Negotiating with the US or India will inevitably lead to them pointing at this agreement and giving us nearly nothing for dairy and meat.

"Not only do the comments this morning from the Prime Minister show a lack of awareness, but the lack of pressure on the EU for an agreement that delivers for dairy and meat shows that the Government is under pressure but continually fails to deliver.

“Dairy and meat farmers, our two biggest exporters, are rightfully angry at this Government."

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