Another WTO-Brexit article. This time leaving the EU on WTO terms is going to reduce food prices. Which it could, there are plenty of agriculture tariffs that could be cut, but this relies on the assumption that the UK will do so.
Bear in mind that the UK is currently proposing to maintain EU agriculture policy at WTO, and is engaged in negotiation accordingly. This is likely to go on for a while, and the chances are that for this period we won't be tampering with tariffs. ecipe.org/publications/t…
Another issue is that tariff policy is complex, given the needs to balance WTO-MFN, bilateral negotiations, and meaningful preferences for developing countries. Whilst you can make changes in a hurry that isn't exactly ideal.
The article doesn't mention that a WTO-Brexit will mean EU-UK trade will come within Tariff Rate Quotas, which is bound to cause problems not least given all-Ireland trade.
There's also a mention of the UK reducing non-tariff barriers to food imports from non-EU countries. Again, it is possible, but hardly guaranteed - food safety rules are highly complex, and making hurried changes probably not advisable.
Same old problem with the WTO-Brexit argument. There are lots of things that *could* happen in this scenario. But none of them proof that all will be fine. And in a very unpredictable situation.
