Trade deal progress ‘doable’: WTO
He said agreement is needed in May or June on agricultural subsidies, agricultural tariffs and industrial tariffs — just three of the 20 world trade topics for negotiation.
Meanwhile, the European Commission said beef tariffs would not come down 70% in a trade agreement. As a sensitive product, beef would escape with a one third tariff cut, of 23%. “As tariffs for beef are relatively high today, that means that significant border protection will remain,” according to the commission.
An additional tariff-rate quota for beef would be less than 300,000 tonnes of the EU’s eight million tonnes consumption. Imports could rise to 700 000 tonnes — 300,000 in the quota and 400,000 paying duties, according to the commission.
This would be phased in over five years, and would include only 115,000 tonnes of the high quality beef Ireland produces.
Even without a trade agreement, beef imports are expected to rise, according to the commission.
