We asked Defra for its assessment of the effect of the Australian FTA on British agriculture. Defra said that it was confident that the phasing in of the liberalisation and the safeguards provide a period of adjustment for the UK agriculture sector, particularly as it goes through major domestic challenges following EU exit.52 The Department for International Trade also suggested that Australian imports may displace European beef that is currently imported to the UK. Defra confirmed its modelling showed that new imports mainly, but not entirely, displace existing imports and would not necessarily 44 Q 53 45 Qq 55–57 46 PTN0002 47 PTN0002 48 C&AG’s report, para 3.25, Figure 11 49 Q 20 50 Qq 10–11; 18–19 51 Qq 11, 20 52 Q 12 Progress with trade negotiations 15 damage UK production.53 Defra told us that it is also doing a lot to help the sector to reorient itself towards exports, such as by setting up a food and drink export council and by working with overseas trade attaches to open up new markets in places like China and the Gulf.54