The UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs last week released a policy paper outlining its intention to introduce similar deforestation regulations for imported products, suggesting an implementation date from 2027 – now less than six months away.

Australia’s red meat trade into the UK has grown steadily (albeit from a very small base) over the past 12 months, following the establishment of a Free Trade Agreement a year earlier. For the calendar year ended May, Australia’s beef exports to the UK have totaled 9600t, more than twice the volume as the same period last year, while lamb and mutton for the year to date has totaled 11,600t.

The DEFRA statement said the deforestation rules would apply to ​cattle (assumed to mean beef), soy, wood, cocoa, coffee, palm oil and rubber, as well as ​​derived products such as chocolate and furniture.

UK businesses using these products would need to ensure they establish a due diligence system, report on their activity, and hold proof of this compliance by collecting geolocation data about the origin of the specific products.

“We aim to make sure these measures operate consistently alongside the EU Regulation on Deforestation-free Products (EUDR), so as to support the UK government’s commitment to protect the UK internal market and support export-led growth. We also aim to achieve due diligence consistency for businesses working in both the UK internal market and EU single market,” the statement said.

The European Parliament continues to face pushback from trading partners as well as European industries over its own EUDR policy.

The program’s introduction has twice been postponed by 12 months, due to a range of issues.

The European Livestock and Meat Trades Union and ten other European agricultural groups last week issued a joint statement  suggesting that the EUDR remains unworkable.

Among the group’s key concerns were:

• Unworkable compliance framework
• Disproportionate administrative burden
• Supply chain disruption risks
• Legal and liability uncertainty
• Global inconsistency challenges
• Need for harmonisation
• Ensure proportionality and real simplification for micro and small operators.

“At a time of geopolitical instability, supply volatility and high inflation, it is critical that EU policy balances environmental ambition with economic and operational realities,” the group urged.

The group’s statement said that without meaningful legislative changes, the EUDR presented a real risk of non-compliance and resulting shortages, lack of competitiveness, and food and feed insecurity.

“Many of the concerns we have consistently raised over the past three years remain unresolved, including the regulation’s practical feasibility, the significant administrative burden it places on our members, as well as the legal uncertainties and potential diversion of commodity flows it may cause,” the group said.