The rural economy secretary Fergus Ewing has sought assurance around the consultation process used in making trade deals, from Defra Secretary of State Michael Gove MP.

As revealed by Farmers Journal Scotland last week, protected products such as Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb were not registered in the EU trade deals with Japan and Canada.

Ewing described this as a “commercial disadvantage” for the industry.

He points out that this also raises concern “around the previous assurances we were given by the UK Government on future consultation on products to be included for protection as part of ongoing and future trade deals”.

The proposed trade deal between the EU and Mexico has also omitted Scotch lamb.

Ewing asked Gove to “urgently review the process within your department for consultation with devolved administrations on both current and future trade deals, and confirmation that we still have an opportunity to influence the products for the Japan and Mexico deals”.

The news must be a wake-up call to the government, as in the future it will be the UK striking trade deals without going through the EU, according to NFU Scotland.

“It is not about what we export to these countries now but what we might export in the future,” said CEO of NFUS Scott Walker. “All is not lost, as there will be an opportunity to add to the list when the CETA application is reviewed but it is this sort of detail that the UK Government needs to pay attention to.”

A DEFRA spokesperson said: “The EU Commission, not the UK Government, is responsible for negotiating with third party countries on which products are included in any new trade deal.”