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McKinney optimistic about US-UK trade

USDA Undersecretary Ted McKinney says he is optimistic the United Kingdom wants a trade deal as the US and UK enter a fifth round of trade talks.

“We all know that the heavy lift comes at the end (of trade talks), but we remain optimistic the UK truly wants a deal,” he says. “…So, we’re optimistic but we have yet to see what the final stage would be.”

He says animal welfare standards are still a top priority for the UK.

I believe our standards are very little different than those in the UK or even in Europe, but I do believe there is a big myth that ours are different,” he says. “Our standards in their view, in some cases, are believed to be substandard.”

McKinney made these comments during a recent virtual trade roundtable.