Canada needs to get back to the bargaining table.Ottawa-Canadian beef exports to the UK and Europe have been underwhelming since the implementation of the European free trade deal, says the Canadian Cattlemen's Association (CCA).It says that, “What was close to par two-way trade volumes in 2018 has progressed to a nearly two-to-one advantage for the U.K. in 2019 and more than a quadruple advantage for the U.K. in 2020.”While Canada has duty-free access for 2,311 tonnes of fresh and 968 tonnes of frozen beef in 2021, UK exporters have “unlimited duty-free access into the Canadian market.”The federal government needs to begin negotiating a free trade deal with the UK as soon as possible now that it has departed the European Union, the CCA said in a brief.The deal must address “current trade limiting factors that were perpetuated in the transition agreement and allow Canadian farmers to balance the currently uneven trade relationship.”In the brief to a federal consultation on a new free trade with the UK, CCA said Canada should aim for reciprocal beef market access and the alignment of U.K.'s sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) requirements to international standards and the attainment of systems approval.As well, Canada's food safety and meat inspection system need to be fully accepted by countries to which it exports, which means both parties need to have confidence in each other's safety protocols and compliance.“While we understand that achieving such mutual confidence was a challenge with the full 28 EU Member States, we were likely closest with the U.K., and it should be very achievable in a bilateral context,” CCA said.The UK's wish to joint the Pacific free trade deal is a welcome move, CCA said, because it will create “an opportunity to increase the value of beef exports through the development of diverse supply chains under truly free, predictable and secure terms of access.”The CCA has been a consistent advocate of free trade and the further expansion of the Pacific free trade deal to include the UK should be welcomed if it is able to meet the high ambition of the agreement.Alex Binkley is a freelance journalist and writes for domestic and international publications about agriculture, food and transportation issues. He's also the author of two science fiction novels with more in the works.