We have recently given evidence to the House of Lords International Agreements Committee inquiry into the UK-Australia trade deal, writes Bryn Francis of the FUW.

It provided us with an opportunity to reinforce how little Wales and the UK would benefit from such a deal.

The UK Government’s own figures and projections demonstrate that the degree to which the agreement in principle published in June 2021 delivers on UK interests is negligible.

It is perhaps notable that the Department for International Trade’s estimated long term increases in UK GDP of £200m and £500m compare with average values for Welsh red meat production and GVA of Welsh agriculture of £690m and £469m respectively.

The UK Government modelling also suggests a deal similar to that proposed could lead to an increase in UK exports to Australia of 7.3 per cent, compared with an increase in imports from Australia of 83.2 per cent, with a large portion of the latter expected to comprise of Australian food imports, predominantly beef and lamb.

Notwithstanding other concerns, inherent to such an increase in food imports would be a reduction in the UK’s food security, both or either through the displacement of domestic production and/or through additional reliance on food produced many thousands of miles away as opposed to in neighbouring countries.

Let’s not forget that the shipping distance between Melbourne and London is around 12,700 miles, compared to a shipping distance of 220 miles between Rotterdam and London.

Such a reduction in food security would come at a time when the coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the fragility of both domestic and global food supply chains, and how rapidly changes can occur due to unforeseen circumstances.

These were just some of the concerns we highlighted in our response to the inquiry and we remain opposed to the trade deal with Australia as it currently stands.

With that in mind, I would urge members to use the lobbying tool on our website to ask their MP to use all means possible to prevent the UK signing the UK- Australia and other trade deals that will threaten the economic, environmental and social sustainability in our constituency and across the UK as well as our international reputation.