Dec 30, 2020

New US-UK organic equivalency agreement taking effect

A new organic equivalence agreement between the United States and the United Kingdom takes effect Jan. 1, 2021.

The USDA announced the new agreement in a newsletter on December 30.

“Effective Friday, January 1, 2021, organic trade between the United States (U.S.) and United Kingdom (UK), which includes Great Britain (England, Scotland, Wales) and Northern Ireland, will take place under a new equivalence arrangement that allows organic products certified to either the USDA or UK organic standards to be labelled and sold as organic in both countries, as long as the products meet the terms of the arrangement,” according to the newsletter.

“The biggest change to current import/export practices under the new arrangement is that USDA organic products exported to England, Scotland and Wales must be accompanied by a new paper Great Britain import certificate developed by the UK,” according to the newsletter. “Shipments to Northern Ireland will continue to use the European Union’s TRACES certificate system.”

More information about the agreement is available on the USDA and UK government websites.

The USDA and U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) negotiate organic trade arrangements to help organic farms and businesses access new markets for their products.