Years of NCBA Advocacy Laid Groundwork for Trade Victory
WASHINGTON (May 8, 2025) – Today, the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA) announced support for President Donald Trump’s trade agreement-in-principle with the United Kingdom (U.K.). Most importantly, the agreement includes market access for beef. This announcement follows years of NCBA’s hard work building the foundation for a trade deal with the U.K., including numerous meetings with British industry stakeholders, Members of Parliament, the British Embassy, the U.K. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and other top British authorities.
“With this trade deal, President Trump has delivered a tremendous win for American family farmers and ranchers,” said NCBA President Buck Wehrbein, a Nebraska cattleman. “For years, American cattle producers have seen the United Kingdom as an ideal partner for trade. Between our countries’ shared history, culture, and their desire for high-quality American beef, securing a trade agreement is a natural step forward. Thank you President Trump for fighting for American cattle producers.”
NCBA has spent years advocating for expanded trade with the U.K. When the U.K. left the European Union in 2020, that opened the door to secure trade agreements with countries like the United States. British and American cattle producers share similar values and British consumers also enjoy American beef.
Background
For the past few years, NCBA members have participated in several meetings both domestically and abroad with senior British government officials to educate them on our production practices and the unique attributes of our product. In 2022, the British Ambassador to the U.S., Dame Karen Pierce, attended the 2022 CattleCon and spoke to attendees about the importance of strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and U.K. Last year, NCBA hosted a U.S. versus U.K. “Battle of the Beef” event in collaboration with the British Embassy. This lighthearted event brought top U.S. and U.K. officials—including the British Embassy Deputy Head of Mission, U.S. Chief Agricultural Negotiator, President of the U.K. National Farmers Union, and numerous members of Congress—together to talk about the mutual benefits of American and British trade. In March 2025, NCBA member Robby Kirkland reiterated that message when he testified before the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee in a congressional hearing on trade. NCBA also recently met with current British Ambassador Peter Mandelson.