The US will continue to push for access to UK markets for all of its agricultural produce after a deal was agreed on the trade of beef that meets Britain’s higher safety and welfare standards.

In what was heralded as a “landmark” trade deal between the US and UK, both sides have agreed a reciprocal tariff-free quota of 13,000 tonnes of beef to be traded under the new agreement.

The move represents around 1.5 per cent of the UK beef market, and opens up for the first time tariff-free access to the US for British cattle farmers.

But in a sign of further pressure to come from Washington, US Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said she would be seeking to open up UK markets to more meat produced by American farmers.

Such a move will raise significant concerns among British farmers and consumers, as the majority of US beef is treated with growth hormones, while antimicrobial washes, such as chlorine, is used to clean chicken due to lower standards in animal welfare.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Rollins described US beef as the “crown jewel” of beef around the world, adding that no other sector has been “so unfairly treated” as the US agriculture industry.

And she added: “As we move forward, I know our incredible trade team is looking at all the meats, all of the produce, really all of our agriculture exports.”

Rollins said she was headed to the UK on Monday to meet with her counterparts to carry on talks.

As revealed by The i Paper, the White House is under significant pressure from Republican Congress members representing rural seats, who are demanding greater access to international markets for their constituents.

But the Government has been insistent that it will not lower its food and welfare standards to allow more US meat to enter the UK, describing it as a red line in any trade talks.

A Cabinet source said: “There will be no weakening of UK standards on imports now or in the future.”

The National Farmers’ Union (NFU) said it welcomed the increased access to US markets for British beef, but it raised concerns that the UK agricultural sector was being used in the negotiations to remove tariffs elsewhere.

NFU president Tom Bradshaw said: “We appreciate the Government’s efforts in listening to our concerns, particularly around maintaining high standards, protecting sensitive agricultural sectors and securing reciprocal access for beef.

“Our biggest concern is that two agricultural sectors have been singled out to shoulder the heavy burden of the removal of tariffs for other industries in the economy. While we understand this, we also know that today is the start, not the end, of a process and UK agriculture cannot continue to shoulder such imbalances in future negotiations.”

The National Pig Farmers Association said that while it welcomed assurances on standards, it called for the Government to establish a set of “core production standards that would apply to both domestically produced and imported food in order to be sold in the UK”.

“Implementing core standards will prevent UK farmers’ animal welfare and sustainability efforts from being undermined and ensure that the UK does not simply offshore food production to countries with less sustainable systems and lower animal welfare standards,” it said.