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Getty Pictures
A post-Brexit commerce deal between the UK and Japan might have met an unlikely impediment – stilton cheese.
On Friday, the 2 sides stated they hoped to agree the small print of a post-Brexit commerce settlement by the tip of the month.
However progress has reportedly been blown astray after Worldwide Commerce Secretary Liz Truss requested higher phrases for British blue cheeses.
The Division for Worldwide Commerce declined to touch upon the experiences.
The Monetary Instances, which first reported that talks had hit a snag, stated Ms Truss could also be on the lookout for a symbolic victory, as gross sales of blue cheese to Japan from the UK have been solely £102,000 final yr.
A greater deal for the merchandise might imply her division might declare a barely extra beneficial deal than the one the EU secured with Japan final yr, when the 2 sides secured a minimize of €1bn of tariffs on meals.
Dairy and different meals merchandise are among the many EU’s greatest exports to Japan.
Ms Truss is a long-term fan of UK produce. In 2014, when she was atmosphere secretary she informed the Conservative Occasion convention it was a “shame” that “we import two-thirds of our apples, nine-tenths of our pears, and two-thirds of our cheese”.
The Division for Worldwide Commerce declined to touch upon the experiences, however pointed to Ms Truss’s feedback from Friday, when she stated a consensus had been reached between the UK and Japan and stated a deal was anticipated by the tip of the month.
“Negotiations have been constructive and productive, and we now have reached consensus on the key parts of a deal – together with bold provisions in areas like digital, information and monetary providers that go considerably past the EU-Japan deal,” she stated in an announcement on the time.
“Our shared purpose is to succeed in a proper settlement in precept by the tip of August.”