Closing the Welfare Gap: Why the UK Must Apply Its Animal Protection Standards to Imports

29 April 2025

Currently many products imported into the UK come from countries where practices banned in the UK are still legal, creating a gap that is expected to grow with new trade deals, undermining public values and disadvantaging British farmers.

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This report finds:

• Of the UK’s 88 trading partners that can currently, or may soon, export animal products to the UK without tariffs, 84 (95%) have lower animal welfare standards than the UK.

• The UK is effectively outsourcing animal cruelty, with already high numbers of farmed animals suffering overseas for the UK market. This is likely to increase.

• Existing legislation already mandates that imports of meat must align with UK slaughter laws. Extending these requirements to include production methods would ensure consistency and uphold welfare standards.