The UK Government has secured a free trade agreement (FTA) with Switzerland which will enable UK lamb to enter Switzerland for the first time tariff-free while beef, dairy and English sparkling wine will all benefit from lower tariffs.
The FTA will give UK agri-food and drink exports a competitive edge in a market already worth £195 million a year (2019–2022 average), while safeguarding UK farming interests and upholding the UK’s high standards. It will unlock improved access for UK dairy exporters, with tariffs cut by up to 50% on products such as milk powder, building on the sector’s existing tariff-free access for cheese.
In return, according to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), the UK has made only a very limited offer on certain dairy lines.
English sparkling wine producers will receive a 34% tariff reduction and UK beef steaks a 35% tariff reduction with tariffs falling as low as 0% on a wide range of products, including peas, carrots and broad beans.
Subject to Swiss processes, the FTA will allow the UK to protect a further 28 UK Geographical Indications in Switzerland, including Traditional Welsh Caerphilly and Ayrshire New Potatoes.
The trade deal also includes a new SPS (sanitary and phytosanitary) chapter to make trade smoother and more predictable, strengthening UK-Swiss co-operation through faster information sharing, reducing red tape at the border and helping resolve trade issues more quickly.
The National Farmers' Union (NFU) President, Tom Bradshaw, said: “This is a great example of a balanced deal. We appreciate the government’s efforts to secure competitive access to the Swiss market for UK farmers — something the NFU has called for since the very start of these negotiations.”
