'Cruel' animal welfare practices 'could be imported to UK due to new trade deal'

charities have joined forces to issue a stark warning about low welfare standards as Britain agrees to .

Compassion in World Farming, the and Animal Policy International (API) say British consumers could be buying products of practices that are too cruel to be carried out here. James West, Chief Public Affairs Manager at said: “Right now is a pivotal time for protecting animal welfare, as the UK Government is currently preparing to announce a new trade strategy. Alarmingly, the UK risks undermining its animal welfare laws and disadvantaging British farmers if the Government allows imports of meat, eggs and dairy produced to lower standards than here.”

As Britain and India agreed a long-desired trade deal on Tuesday, a probe by API reveals the immense suffering of hens confined to battery cages on its egg farms raising concerns about the potential increase in cruel imports to the UK. The animal welfare group found overcrowded conditions on Indian farms with up to 10 hens crammed into cages typically used for two-to-three birds , hens with injuries, swollen glands and beaks, dead birds left lying around the cages and insufficient and poorly maintained water access points.

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India is the world's third biggest egg producer, with 80-90% of hens in battery cages with plans to expand their export market. These systems severely restrict hen movement and natural behaviours, causing significant welfare issues.

The British Egg Industry Council has warned that while fresh shell egg imports may not pose a major threat, processed egg products present a serious concern. Liquid or powdered egg imports from countries, like India, using production methods banned in the UK, could severely impact the domestic industry. With approximately a fifth of British eggs used for egg products, competition from lower-welfare imports could force UK egg processors out of business, disrupt the supply chain and potentially raise consumer prices. Vietnam is another potential country for imports.

Mandy Carter, Co-Executive Director at Animal Policy International, said: “We know that British people care deeply about animal welfare, yet we continue to see animals suffering in horrific conditions overseas, specifically for the UK market, in conditions like that as seen in the footage from Vietnam and India. By allowing imports that flout our welfare standards, we risk plunging into a race to the bottom that compromises the welfare of animals, the integrity of British values, and the livelihoods of our farmers.”

A new report released by Animal Policy International, Compassion in World Farming and the RSPCA has found that 49 of the 58 countries with which the UK has, or is negotiating, free trade agreements (FTAs) with, have lower farmed animal welfare standards than the UK. The report warns that many animal products imported into the UK are produced using methods that are illegal here, and there is an urgent need to address this issue to avoid it worsening with new trade deals that could undermine both British values and higher welfare UK farmers.

This includes a trade deal with the US which is rumoured to include chicken, pork and beef. Previous negotiations with the US saw the US Government push aggressively for unrestricted access to the UK market for agri-food products, including hormone-treated beef and chlorine-washed chicken, both practices that are illegal in the UK.

The United States has no federal legislation protecting farmed animals during rearing and the Animal Welfare Act 1966 explicitly excludes farmed animals, including poultry and fish, from its scope, creating a vastly different regulatory environment to the UK. Battery cages for layer hens are only banned in eleven US states.

Similarly, sow stalls, which severely restrict movement for pregnant pigs, remain legal in 39 US states despite being banned in the UK since 1999. Painful procedures like tail docking and castration on pigs are routinely performed without pain relief in US farming operations.

US poultry are excluded from humane slaughter laws, with no federal requirements for stunning before slaughter. Additionally, antibiotic use per animal in US farming averages five times higher than in the UK, with particularly stark differences in cattle (9-16 times higher) and turkeys (5.5 times higher).

Mexican production standards feature minimal safeguards for the welfare of pigs, cattle, and chickens. The use of sow stalls, illegal in the UK, is permitted throughout Mexico. Additionally, Mexican regulations do not mandate pain relief for common procedures like castration and tail docking.

Entrepreneur and Dragons’ Den star, Debora Meaden who penned the foreword for the report, said: “Closing this "welfare gap" must be a priority. It’s about integrity. We don't just want suffering outsourced overseas - we want an end to farmed animal cruelty entirely.”

A Government spokesperson said: "We will only ever sign trade agreements which aligns with the UK’s national interests, and we will not lower our high food standards."