Britain risks new rift with Washington over deforestation regulations

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🗞️ Driving the news: The U.K. risks a new trade dispute with the U.S. after proposing deforestation regulations similar to the EU’s upcoming rules
• Washington has warned Britain against adopting requirements that force companies to prove commodities such as beef, cocoa, coffee, palm oil, soy and wood are not linked to illegal deforestation

🔭 The context: The U.K. announced plans to reduce regulatory divergence with the EU after Brexit by introducing supply-chain traceability rules inspired by the EU Deforestation Regulation
• The U.S. has strongly criticised the EU approach, arguing that requirements such as geolocation data and traceability create unnecessary trade barriers

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Deforestation is a major driver of biodiversity loss and global emissions
• Stronger supply-chain transparency helps companies identify and eliminate forest-risk commodities
• However, policymakers face the challenge of designing systems that are effective while remaining practical for producers and exporters

⏭️ What’s next: The U.K. government will consult businesses, civil society and international partners before introducing new rules
• The debate is expected to intensify as Britain balances closer environmental alignment with Europe against maintaining smooth trade relations with the U.S.

💬 One quote: “Washington may feel it has more of a substantive axe to grind.” – Allie Renison, former U.K. government trade adviser

📈 One stat: The proposed rules would cover major forest-risk commodities including beef, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, rubber, soya and wood.

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