So, where’s the beef here?

Freer trade makes us all that little bit richer:

Waitrose has ruled out buying American beef and chicken as it insisted it would stand “shoulder-to-shoulder with our farmers” after Sir Keir Starmer’s US trade deal.

The supermarket said it would not undermine its animal welfare standards and planned to continue to source its own-brand beef, lamb, chicken, pork, eggs and fresh milk from British farms.

British and US officials last week agreed to cut tariffs on US beef imports, prompting fears the UK market could be flooded with American meat products that undercut British-made products.

Those interested in Made In Britain, those animal welfare standards, British farmers, will be able to insist upon their interests. By shopping with someone who accords with those interests, obviously.

Those not interested, caring more about the cash price that must be paid - or even those perverse enough to insist they prefer the US product on taste, production or any other grounds - also get to shop with those who accord with those and their interests.

We are all made richer by having that more choice. This is good.

Of course, there are swings and roundabouts to everything, all is trade offs. The people who lose here are those who would insist upon using trade law to impose their interests upon everyone else. These people, the authoritarians, lose out. This is good.

So, where’s the beef with this change? Well, it’s those authoritarians complaining about their ability to insist upon the rest of us. But then, given that increase in our well being that stems from our greater choice, we know what to tell them about that then, don’t we?

Tim Worstall