Livestock exports of animals bound for slaughter from England and Wales will be banned. The ban is plannec to apply by the end of next year.
According to BBC, the government is launching an eight-week consultation on the plan, which includes measures to reduce the amount of time animals spend in trucks within the UK.
Additionally, a package of reforms is expected to come to Parliament next summer.
According to current EU trading rules, animals are allowed to be transported abroad for slaughter.
One local authority in Kent tried to ban the exports in 2012, after a lorry full of lame sheep was discovered at the local port and the animals had to be put down. However, the High Court overturned the ban, saying it was a breach of EU free trade rules.
Only a few thousand of the millions of animals bred for meat in the UK end up being shipped to Europe for slaughter.
Nevertheless, the UK government said that as the UK has left the EU, a ban can be introduced.
Its consultation will also look at more elements of animal welfare in transport, like reducing maximum journey times, giving animals more space and headroom during transport, and stricter rules on transporting animals in extreme temperatures or by sea.
The RSPCA welcomed the move, but the National Farmers Union called for improvements to export rules, instead of an outright ban.
