A potted history of UK-NZ Trade
This column was originally published in Meat Management in April 2022
2022 marks the 140th anniversary of the first shipments of refrigerated meat arriving in the UK from New Zealand. 2022 has also seen the signature of a new free trade agreement (FTA) with New Zealand, continuing the historic partnership between the UK and NZ. New Zealand lamb is taken for granted as a staple on UK supermarket shelves, but it has not always been this way.
Back in the mid-late 19th century, the population in Britain was growing, as was demand for meat. Agriculture in Australia and New Zealand had also been growing, though with somewhat isolated market opportunities. By this time, there had been attempts to transport meat from Australasia without success, but it had been managed on transatlantic routes (thanks to lower temperatures in the northern Atlantic).
The successful arrival of the Dunedin in London in 1882, loaded with 4,000 mutton carcases, around 500 lamb carcases, as well as pig meat, game, and dairy marked the start of a historic and important trading relationship between the UK and New Zealand which continues to this day.
Fast-forward 140 years and through many changes in refrigeration technology and the advent of containerisation, as well as much faster sailing times, New Zealand lamb, both chilled and frozen is still a prominent part of meat consumption in the UK.
Complimentary seasonality means the trading relationship has stood the test of time. New Zealand’s position on the other side of the world means that lamb is in season at the opposite time to the UK. This means consumers can enjoy lamb in the UK all year round.
Two-way trade is key for the UK meat sector since consumers in the UK do not consume all parts of the animal. Those not consumed domestically are exported around the world, whilst the UK must import those it does not produce enough of. UK consumers have a preference for lamb legs, for example. Given there are only two on each animal, a robust and dependable supply of imported meat is key. New Zealand has filled this role for over a century. The UK needs diverse supplies of imported products to be food secure; this deal will contribute to that objective.
The deal also builds on the existing UK-New Zealand Agreement on Sanitary Measures (or the Veterinary Agreement, as it is often called). This agreement is the most advanced of its kind. Whilst it maintains 100% paperwork requirements, the agreement reduces physical checks to 1% on trade between UK and New Zealand by recognising the effectiveness of each party’s controls. An agreement like this – though it would not solve all the issues – would be welcome for UK-EU trade (there could be a whole Meat Management column devoted to that subject).
The UK-New Zealand FTA is part of the UK’s broader trade policy, including negotiations with many countries around the world and the UK’s accession to CPTPP (the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership). These negotiations and – hopefully – future trade agreements will continue to ensure the UK’s long-term food security and trade opportunities for UK exports.
IMTA welcomes the New Zealand FTA and will continue to monitor the UK’s trade negotiations and keep members abreast of significant developments.