Export Licence Applications Sarah Green (Chesham and Amersham) (LD)
1. What steps she is taking to improve the application process for
export licences. (905845) The Secretary of State for International
Trade (Anne-Marie Trevelyan) The Export Control Joint Unit has
statutory responsibility for the licensing of controlled exports.
In 2020, it administered more than 16,000 licences. The ECJU
provides guidance and training on the application process. Work is
presently...Request free trial
Export Licence Applications
(Chesham and Amersham) (LD)
1. What steps she is taking to improve the application process
for export licences. (905845)
The Secretary of State for International Trade ()
The Export Control Joint Unit has statutory responsibility for
the licensing of controlled exports. In 2020, it administered
more than 16,000 licences. The ECJU provides guidance and
training on the application process. Work is presently under way
to modernise the application process and the technology that
supports it, to make it more efficient and more transparent.
Trying to export goods is currently a slow and inefficient
process. One toy business in Chesham and Amersham told me that it
now spends significantly more time on the paperwork than it ever
did before. A recent survey of businesses in Buckinghamshire
showed that 58% have experienced a rise in cost due to an
increase in the same red tape. What proactive, practical steps
are the Government taking to help businesses of all sizes to
export their goods to the rest of the world?
In 2020, the ECJU administered nearly 16,000 standard individual
export licences. It completed 62% within 20 working days, against
a target of 70%, and 85% within 60 working days, against a target
of 99%. That is why we have brought in work to modernise and
streamline the application process so that it will be more
efficient and—further to the hon. Lady’s point—will allow
businesses to know that they can use the system as effectively
and with as little red tape as possible.
Global Trade Barriers
(Warrington South) (Con)
2. What steps her Department has taken to reduce barriers to
global trade for British businesses. (905847)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International
Trade ()
We are negotiating and implementing free trade agreements and
removing barriers that British businesses face across the globe.
Last financial year, we resolved more than 200 barriers across 74
countries, an increase of 20% on the previous year. We have so
far secured FTAs with 70 countries plus the EU, covering nearly
£800 billion-worth of bilateral trade in 2020, delivering
benefits for communities across the country.
British produce and food and drink are some of the best in the
world, especially when they are made in the north-west of
England. What steps are the Government taking to reduce market
access barriers for businesses in Warrington South and the
north-west? What have they done in the past year to help British
exporters?
The Department is working hard to reduce barriers to trade,
including for my hon. Friend’s constituents in Warrington South.
For example, I can tell him that we have successfully secured
access for British wheat to Mexico, poultry to Japan and lamb to
the USA, just to name a few of the barriers that have been
removed, boosting food and agriculture among many other products
across the globe.
Mr Speaker
I call the shadow Minister.
(Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)
Survey after survey of business owners report unnecessary hassle
and difficulty in exporting to European markets, with extra red
tape, checks and delays too often the norm. As no one in the
Government is getting a grip on this, why does the Secretary of
State not get herself down to Dover to understand directly what
needs doing to ease the very real difficulties that British
businesses face?
If we could export broken records, I think the hon. Gentleman
would be a winner, but I have to say that his description is far
from the truth. What are the Government and the Department doing?
We have the export support service, the Export Academy, export
champions, international trade advisers in the UK and overseas,
agri-commissioners, hundreds of staff focusing on specific
sectors, the tradeshow programme, UK Export Finance and trade
envoys. The key issue is that in-country, where we find specific
issues, we liaise country to country to resolve them. It is
simply not true that the Government are doing nothing. In fact,
we are seeing exports starting to recover and appetite for
British goods and services going up ever more.
Mr Speaker
I call the SNP spokesperson.
(Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch
and Strathspey) (SNP)
The Minister is reeling off figures, but he might want to
consider this one: 4,300 fewer businesses in the UK are exporting
goods and services than in 2018, according to the Government’s
own annual stocktake. Why are this Government so anti-trade?
The information is that exports to the EU are now up. Also, the
export support service is now proactively contacting those
customers who have stopped exporting, because there can be a
variety of reasons why people drop off the radar for exporting.
Just seeing the glass half empty is not boosting trade in the
United Kingdom. We are proactively contacting those companies to
get them back on the pitch and back exporting, and talking up the
United Kingdom.
They are great at talking the talk but not at walking the walk.
The European Union will remain Scotland and the UK’s largest
export market for some time to come, yet this Government have
done nothing to remove or even ease non-tariff barriers,
bureaucracy or Brexit red tape, and they have not done anything
about the labour shortages that are hampering exporters. They
have spent the past year decimating the fishing industry and its
livelihoods. This year, why are they going after farmers, with
the Australia and New Zealand trade deals, already roundly
condemned by the farming industry, set to result in floods of
cheap, lower-quality meat and dairy products being exported into
the UK from around the globe?
All I can say to the hon. Gentleman is that it is a good job that
I am leading on exports, not him, because all he ever sees is
problems. We are doing stuff. We are doing exports. It is simply
not true that the Government are doing nothing. I have been out
in the markets. I am not sure whether the Scottish lead on
exports has done many overseas visits. I am happy to work with
the Scottish National party if it would actually come out and do
something. We are removing trade barriers. We have already sent
poultry to Japan and lamb to the USA. We are working with the
Gulf states, increasing halal sales and sales of Welsh lamb. It
is simply not true that this country will be flooded with cheap
imports. That is pure scaremongering.
Steel Exports
(Sefton Central) (Lab)
3. What further steps she is taking to increase exports of steel.
(905849)
The Secretary of State for International Trade ()
My Department recently published our refreshed export strategy,
which has an action-led 12-point plan, and we have introduced a
whole range of support measures, as the Under-Secretary of State
for International Trade, my hon. Friend the Member for Finchley
and Golders Green () has just set out, to help
exporters to thrive in the global market, including, of course,
our high-quality steel, internationalising key trading sectors
and raising the UK exporting culture across the UK for the long
term.
We can learn from the United States, of course, where the Made in
America Act 2021 and informal targets in Government contracts
support US steelmakers. The UK Government have told me that the
World Trade Organisation does not allow them to do that, but the
US example shows that that is not true. Will the Secretary of
State tell her colleagues across Government that we can help
boost steel exports if the UK Government give a big vote of
confidence to our steel industry and start to make, buy and sell
more in Britain?
UK steel exports across the world are worth nearly £4 billion. As
the hon. Gentleman knows, we are in very detailed talks to ensure
that our UK to US steel exports get back on track and to clear
out the issues caused by the section 232 tariffs over the past
couple of years. We and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of
State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy continue to
work with the steel industry to ensure that what is some of the
world’s best steel, made across our UK steel yards, will continue
to find new markets. We work not only with the US but with all
our likeminded allies in the WTO against those market-distorting
practices that some nations choose to use, which continue to
degrade and devalue the high-quality steel made in the UK. We
continue to work very closely with the industry but also with
those across the world who want to make sure that the steel
market works as it should.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Con)
Expanding on that question, could my right hon. Friend explain
what progress she is making on resolving the section 232 tariff
issues regarding exporting steel to the United States?
In 2018, the US imposed section 232 tariffs on global imports of
steel and aluminium—a defensive reaction at the time to
overcapacity in the global steel market and for its own national
security purposes. I was able to get the negotiations back on
track. My counterpart Secretary Raimondo and I started
negotiations to resolve this issue in mid-January. The
negotiations are proceeding at pace. Our officials are working
flat out to clear through some of the issues, and we hope very
much to be able to bring good announcements here in due
course.
(Strangford) (DUP)
I thank the Secretary of State for her clear commitment to
helping the steel sector. In 2021, the UK’s export levels of
steel decreased by around £53 million of GDP compared with the
previous year. What steps has the Secretary of State taken to
ensure that there are no further decreases in 2022 and that small
steel businesses, which I have in my constituency, and larger
manufacturers are supported in this very uncertain period?
The hon. Gentleman is right. As post-covid markets and industrial
sites pick up, the demand for steel across the world is growing
at pace. We want to make sure that the high-quality steel that we
make across the UK finds the right markets. On my travels in my
role, I speak regularly to those across the world who are doing
complex infrastructure work where our high-quality steel products
will be an important part of their procurement programmes. We are
making good progress. As I say, I work very closely with the BEIS
Secretary to ensure that we give the steel industry all the
support that it needs.
Trade: Australia and New Zealand
(Romford) (Con)
4. What steps her Department is taking to increase trade with (a)
Australia and (b) New Zealand. (905850)
The Secretary of State for International Trade ()
The free trade agreements that the Government signed with
Australia in December and with New Zealand on Monday this week
will end tariffs for British exporters and slash red tape, while
making it easier for smaller businesses to break into these
important markets. The deals with Australia and New Zealand are
expected to increase bilateral trade by 53% and 59% respectively
in the medium term. These FTAs are also expected to boost the UK
economy by over £3 billion.
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on signing the free trade
agreement with New Zealand, which is another positive step in
rebuilding the bonds and historic links we have with the
Commonwealth nations, but does she agree that we must do all we
can to maintain the benefits secured by this deal by ensuring
that any changes to alcohol duty will deliver for UK consumers
and that they do not see domestic taxes on wine go up as we
finally, and rightly, remove the tariffs?
Our deal with New Zealand is indeed very good news for UK
consumers, increasing choice and helping to lower prices on all
New Zealand products that are going to come into the UK. The deal
removes all tariffs, saving up to 20p a bottle on New Zealand
wine. As my hon. Friend seems keen, he will be pleased to know
that the products that British consumers love, such as
Marlborough sauvignon blanc, will be more affordable. The
question on domestic taxation continues to be one that the
Treasury looks at and decides on the basis of the health of our
citizens, and I shall continue to allow the Chancellor to make
those decisions.
(Ogmore) (Lab)
Earlier this week, I had the privilege to meet the president of
the Farmers Union of Wales, who has expressed concerns about both
trade deals, specifically in relation to tonnage of imported meat
and whether it will be on the bone or filleted, as this will make
a significant difference to the scale of flooding of the UK
market. The president tells me that he has been unable to get an
answer from the Department on what he deems to be a pretty simple
question. I used to be a butcher, and I know that there is a
significant difference between the weight of something boned and
something deboned when anyone buys it in the shops. In all
seriousness, could the Secretary of State clarify this here at
the Dispatch Box, or get in touch with the Farmers Union of Wales
to confirm this important point in terms of supporting our
farming industry?
Mr Speaker
That is a filleted question.
I have learned something new about the hon. Gentleman. I did not
know that that was a former career of his, and I look forward to
bringing him into future trade deals to discuss the minutiae of
these details. I will ensure that my officials liaise with the
Farmers Union of Wales in detail, so that it has absolute clarity
on what is in that very large document—a treaty is not just a
couple of bits of paper—and we will of course be publishing all
the paperwork and the relevant support documents for Parliament
and the wider community to have a closer inspection. I will make
sure that my officials pick that matter up this week.
(Totnes) (Con)
It is welcome to see the progress the Government are making with
the digital partnership with Singapore, the Australia trade
agreement, the New Zealand trade agreement and the comprehensive
and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership. This is
not anti-trade but pro-trade—and free trade, for that matter. The
Secretary of State has come before the International Trade
Committee and told us that she would give us scrutiny. The Trade
and Agriculture Commission was given eight days’ advance warning
on the New Zealand deal, but the International Trade Committee
was not. Can she tell us why the Committee was not given the
scrutiny of the New Zealand deal that it should have had?
The Minister for Trade Policy answered a point of order yesterday
setting out the detail of the communications. We always try to
ensure that we are able to provide the information in as timely a
manner as we can. I am looking forward to my opportunity to
discuss the Australian and New Zealand trade deals in more detail
with the International Trade Committee—I think it is already in
the diary—and I know that it will hold me to account 100 % when I
get there.
(Edinburgh North and Leith)
(SNP)
A £150 million hit to fishing, forestry, agriculture and food
manufacturing from the New Zealand trade deal was described in
this Government’s impact assessment as nothing more than a
“process of economic adjustment” and just a
“reallocation of resources within the economy”.
This again exposes the Government’s shock-doctrine, libertarian
approach to free trade and the economy. Can the Secretary of
State tell us whether she is content for those sectors to just go
down with the Brexit ship?
The New Zealand free trade agreement will see bilateral trade
increase by almost 60%, which we expect to boost the UK economy
by nearly £1 billion in the next few years and to increase wages
across the UK. Red tape will be slashed for nearly 6,000 UK small
and medium-sized enterprises, with nearly 250,000 people working
in those supply chains. UK exporters will no longer pay tariffs
on a huge range of foods, and they will now have an advantage
over international rivals.
It is exciting that we will be able to offer new opportunities
for our smaller businesses to discover and grow into the New
Zealand market. Indeed, we will be working very closely with our
New Zealand partners as we look to accede to the comprehensive
and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership later
this year, which will open up enormous new markets for all our
exporters across every field of opportunity.
Trade Deals: Farmers and Food Producers
(Thirsk and Malton)
(Con)
5. What steps she is taking to support farmers and food producers
through trade deals. (905851)
The Minister for Trade Policy ()
Our aim is to support and promote farmers and producers, to
create opportunities for them and to ensure they have the
knowledge and support to capitalise on those new opportunities,
to be a positive force for improving standards and to ensure that
our producers do not face unfair competition.
Environmental regulations and restrictions, on pesticides for
example, are there for good reason, but they cost our farmers
money either in sourcing alternatives or in lower yields. The
farmers I speak to are very concerned about the use of chemicals,
such as Paraquat in Australia and neonicotinoids in large parts
of the European Union, that they are not allowed to use here.
Their costs are therefore higher. Will these matters be addressed
in the trade deals so that we get a fair and level playing
field?
There are many things we can do to drive international standards,
to improve animal welfare and to encourage others not to use
particular pesticides that affect insects we are keen to have
around a bit more. There are many things we can do outside free
trade agreements, and we have done them. As my hon. Friend knows,
we have championed many of these issues.
I have a responsibility to understand the opportunities for our
farmers not just in volume but in value, and to understand the
additional costs they may face in producing very high-quality
produce, which is obviously welcome. I have a deep and growing
understanding of these matters, and I work closely with our
colleagues in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Affairs. We understand the detail, we are talking to agriculture
commissioners and Ministers around the world, and we will arrive
at the right place in all the trade deals, which are obviously
bespoke to each nation.
(Harrow West) (Lab/Co-op)
In October 2020 the Department for International Trade said that,
within five months, up to 77 extra British food and drink
products would get protected status in Japan, thanks to the
UK-Japan trade deal, highlighting Carmarthen ham, Shetland wool,
Yorkshire rhubarb and Lakeland Herdwick lamb among the products
that would benefit. Can the Minister confirm that, despite all
the time that has passed, during which 56 new EU products have
been recognised in Japan, fewer than half the UK products we were
promised have even reached the consultation stage, including none
of the specific products I mentioned?
I would be happy to update the hon. Gentleman with the specifics,
but our analysis shows that the deal we have done with Japan
will, in the long run, increase our trade but also improve our
workers’ wages. These are good things. We obviously require other
nations to put through legislation, to scrutinise and to get
processes through their own Parliaments and committees, but that
is what we will work towards. Those things will improve our
economy and make a real difference to our workers and
producers.
Trade with EU: SMEs
(Richmond Park) (LD)
6. What support her Department is providing to SMEs that trade
with the EU. (905852)
(Bath) (LD)
16. What support her Department is providing to SMEs that trade
with the EU. (905869)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International
Trade ()
To support businesses exporting to the EU, the Department
launched the Export Support Service in October 2021. The ESS
provides businesses with access to answers about exporting their
products or services to Europe, routes to other Government
services and access to other forms of export support, such as the
export academy. Monthly goods exports to the EU for December 2021
are nearly 21% higher than the 2020 monthly average, higher than
the 2019 monthly average and higher than the 2018 average.
My constituent George Chattey runs a company called LuvJus
drinks. He imports his drinks, which are manufactured in Austria.
He recently had a consignment stuck in a warehouse for more than
two and a half months because he could not get the right advice,
either when he placed the order and arranged for the export, or
when the drinks were in the warehouse and needing release. Can
the Minister tell me what he is doing, or what the Department is
doing, to improve the quality and availability of advice to
importers, both at the point where they are arranging their
imports and when such problems occur? We cannot have perishable
goods sat in warehouses for that length of time, and my
constituent had an enormous amount of trouble getting the right
advice from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs and other
bodies.
Actually, no, I cannot tell the hon. Lady, because I am the
Minister for exports, not the Minister for imports. What I can do
is ensure that the relevant Minister comes back to the hon. Lady
with a substantive answer if she wishes to write to me with the
details.
In my constituency, businesses keep contacting me to share
details of the detrimental effects that Brexit has had on their
business, such as countless zero-sales days, which they had not
experienced before. I am not making that up. Will the Government
listen to small businesses, stop their Brexit ideological blind
spot about this and, for example, reopen the SME Brexit support
fund, with a simplified application process and an expanded
remit?
I am not sure I am the one with the Brexit blind spot, but I have
to say that the Government are working very hard with our trade
industry groups and our representative bodies. I frequently meet
those groups, ranging from the Federation of Small Businesses all
the way up to the CBI. Officials, both here in London and in
post, will work with specific Governments to eradicate any issues
inter-country, where there is perhaps an overzealous
interpretation of the rules. More deep-seated problems will be
dealt with on a Government-to-Government level. If the hon. Lady
has details of specific businesses and specific issues that she
would care to share, I would be more than happy to ensure that
the Export Support Service gets back to her or to her
constituents who wish to export.
(New Forest West) (Con)
UK aid promoted trade in Africa by making borders seamless
through digitising all the administrative processes. Is that on
our agenda for trade with the EU at all? It is monstrous that we
are filling in forms.
I understand from my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade
Policy that we aim to have the best border in place by 2025.
(Henley) (Con)
Does the Minister accept that the EU is not the whole of Europe,
and that a wider Europe is out there open for SMEs? Will he say
what he is doing to encourage trade with that wider Europe?
My hon. Friend is right to say that there is a global market, not
just the EU, and the wider European market. The export strategy
“Made in the UK, Sold to the World” is there to assist.
Specifically on support, we have the ESS, the export academy, the
export champions, a network of trade advisers both here and
overseas, agrifood and drink attachés, the tradeshow programme
and UK Export Finance. If any hon. Member wishes to find out more
about the specific support we provide, they are welcome to attend
the parliamentary export showcase on 9 March in Portcullis
House.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
I am sure you would agree, Mr Speaker, that it is hard to
concentrate on trade this morning, given the unfolding tragedy we
see in Ukraine. But getting down to the earth of trade, may I say
that Huddersfield is the beating heart of manufacturing and we
also have lots of farmers in our beautiful countryside in my
constituency? How have this Government got it so wrong that my
farmers are unhappy and my SMEs are unhappy, because exporting,
which they are so good at, is so darn difficult now and they do
not seem to be getting any direction or support from this
Government?
All I can suggest is that the hon. Gentleman gets his exporters
to talk to me and not to him, because we will provide them with
an optimistic and enthusiastic support service. He should come
along on 9 March to the export showcase and find out the
specifics of the practical support that we will give to his
constituents.
(Llanelli) (Lab)
Recent research from the British Chambers of Commerce shows that
over two thirds of SMEs that export say that the EU trade deal is
not enabling them to grow or increase sales. Rather than just
saying that he is waiting for answers from the EU, as he did at
the last International Trade questions, will the Minister tell us
precisely what proposals he has made to the EU, and when, to
reduce the additional cost of paperwork associated with export
health certificates and to eliminate the problem of companies
being asked to register for VAT in multiple EU states?
I will take that question away to my colleagues in both the
Treasury and the Foreign Office, and get her a detailed
answer.
Trade and Export Promotion
(Kirkcaldy and Cowdenbeath)
(Alba)
8. What further steps she is taking to promote trade and exports
for UK businesses. (905855)
Mr Speaker
Who wants it? Come on, Minister!
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International
Trade ()
Perhaps I should just stand at the Dispatch Box full time. My
Department has a strong package of support for British exporters,
as I have reiterated several times already this morning, so that
they can take advantage of the markets that we are opening
through our free trade agreements. From encouraging businesses to
export through the “Made in the UK, Sold to the World” campaign
to our world-leading UK export finance offer and our
on-the-ground support in the UK and overseas, UK businesses are
being supported at every stage in their export journey. I repeat
that there is an offer to attend the export showcase on 9
March.
UK connectivity is concentrated in England, and particularly in
the south-east of England. That presents a growing challenge to
Scottish businesses, given the impact of carbon and haulage
costs, and queuing at the port of Dover, particularly with
perishable export goods. Does the Minister agree that reviewing
the port infrastructure, and particularly the reintroduction of
ferry links from Scotland to Europe, is of growing urgency, and
will he meet me to discuss possible mechanisms to improve that
situation?
I am more than happy to meet the hon. Gentleman to look at the
specifics, and where necessary to liaise with the Scottish
Government on any specific Scottish matters.
(Cleethorpes) (Con)
The renewable energy sector has been one of the success stories
in the UK in recent years, particularly in my constituency where
there are many well-paid jobs. What are the Minister and his
Department doing to ensure that we can export more from the
renewable energy sector?
First, may I thank my hon. Friend for the work that he does as
one of the Prime Minister’s trade envoys? The work that we are
doing on green energy and renewables is at the heart of the
export strategy. On any specific issues that my hon. Friend would
like to take up to ensure that we can boost that world-beating
sector, we would be more than happy to link up his constituents,
or any companies that he wishes to put in contact with us, so
that they can exploit the opportunities globally, where we are a
world leader.
(Brentford and Isleworth)
(Lab)
Promoting trade has to be done in the context of protecting
British interests. The 2019 Conservative manifesto made a
commitment to cover 80% of UK trade with free trade agreements.
The unanswered concern of the Farmers Union of Wales about meat
on or off the bone raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Ogmore
(), who is no longer in his
place, shows just the level of scrutiny required to protect the
interests of our farmers, as does the protection of our jobs,
consumer standards and environmental and welfare commitments.
Does the Secretary of State not worry that not only will she be
responsible for a broken manifesto promise but, by taking on an
“any deal will do” approach, she is undermining UK interests?
No, the whole ministerial team are absolutely confident that we
will continue to deliver world-beating FTAs, and we liaise with
all who have interests. The hon. Lady mentioned things such as
agriculture and food, and we liaise with representative bodies
such as the NFU to ensure that their concerns are fully
represented in the FTAs. I am sure that she will join us in
celebrating all the FTAs that are opening up new markets so that
we can export the best of British products.
Trade Negotiations: Foie Gras and Fur Import Regulation
(Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock)
(SNP)
9. What recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of
State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential
impact of the Government’s plans for regulation of foie gras and
fur imports on trade negotiations. (905856)
The Secretary of State for International Trade ()
The Government are committed to upholding the UK’s high
environmental protection, animal welfare and food standards, as
outlined in our manifesto. I have regular discussions with the
Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and
the Government will update the House in due course on any future
legislation.
I thank the Secretary of State for her answer. My constituents in
Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock, and elsewhere, are very angry that the
Government are considering dropping the proposed ban on foie gras
and fur imports, when there are perfectly acceptable alternatives
to both that do not involve cruelty to animals. Foie gras
involves the force feeding of ducks and geese to fatten and
enlarge their livers, and fur imports into the UK involve animals
being kept in cages that are far too small. How can the
Government continue to claim that the United Kingdom is a world
leader on animal welfare?
We have agreed groundbreaking animal welfare provisions in our
Australia and New Zealand trade deals, including stand-alone
chapters reflecting the importance of animal welfare. As we do
more trade deals in the months and years ahead, that will
continue to be an incredibly important part of our focus. In
relation to the specific issues that the hon. Gentleman has
raised, DEFRA ran a call for evidence last year, from 31 May to
28 June, seeking public views on the fur market. A summary of
responses to that call for evidence will be published soon.
Trade: Persian Gulf Countries
(Rother Valley)
(Con)
10. What steps her Department is taking to increase trade with
the Persian Gulf countries. (905857)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International
Trade ()
The Gulf is an important trading region for the United Kingdom,
with an overall trade relationship worth £32.4 billion in 2020.
The countries of the Gulf Co-operation Council are among our
largest trade partners globally. Having just completed a public
consultation, we aim to start negotiations on a free trade
agreement with the GCC later in 2022. Work continues bilaterally
with countries in the region. In fact, having just returned from
a visit to the United Arab Emirates, I can tell my hon. Friend
that I have seen at first hand that the opportunities for UK
trade in the Gulf are enormous.
Can my hon. Friend the Minister set out some of the potential
benefits for the UK, and especially for Rother Valley, of a trade
deal with the Gulf Co-operation Council, particularly around jobs
and investment?
I can reassure my hon. Friend that the Gulf represents a massive
opportunity for many goods, from education and defence to
vehicles, food and agriculture. It is an open market where people
want to buy British, where we are a trusted partner and where we
are regarded as a seller of high-quality goods. I can reassure
him that in food and drink alone, the demand for top-quality
British produce is already more than £600 million a year.
Exports: European Markets
(Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney)
(Lab)
11. What further steps she is taking to help businesses export to
European markets. (905859)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International
Trade ()
As I told the hon. Members for Richmond Park () and for Bath () earlier, my Department
launched the Export Support Service in October 2021, as a free
service to support exporters to Europe. That unified service is
just one part of the package of measures—I have listed them a
couple of times—that the Department provides to UK exporters.
Small businesses in Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney continue to tell
me the difficulties that they are having with exporting to the EU
and the added bureaucracy, and I am really keen to hear from the
Minister about further support. I heard what he said earlier, but
I do not think the message is getting through. There is a lesson
to be learned about communication and how to get that message to
businesses, because they are clearly not aware of the level of
support that is out there. Perhaps he could give some more detail
about the support and grants that are available, and what more
the Government will do.
I will not reiterate the full list of support that is available,
but the hon. Gentleman is welcome to come to the export showcase
next week to see all that in detail. If he would be interested in
becoming a parliamentary export champion for his constituency, to
make that line of communication much stronger and direct to him,
I would be very happy to facilitate that appointment.
CPTPP Membership
(Banff and Buchan) (Con)
12. What progress her Department has made on securing UK
membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for
Trans-Pacific Partnership. (905862)
(The Cotswolds)
(Con)
14. What progress her Department has made on securing UK
membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for
Trans-Pacific Partnership. (905866)
The Minister for Trade Policy ()
On 18 February, Japan announced that the UK can move to market
access negotiations, the next phase of the accession process. We
aim to have concluded negotiations by the end of this year.
I thank my right hon. Friend for her response. The CPTPP is a
great opportunity to deal with a growing economy, a growing
market, and a market that is precisely for the kind of
high-quality food and drink products that are produced in
Scotland, and in my constituency of Banff and Buchan. Contrary to
some reports in recent weeks, will my right hon. Friend provide a
firm commitment that in no future or current trade deal will we
allow the import of hormone-injected beef or any other foodstuff
that would be illegal to produce and sell in the UK?
I thank my hon. Friend for giving me the opportunity to flatten
that myth. The UK’s import standards include a ban on using
artificial growth hormones in domestic and imported products, and
our trade deals do not and will not change that. I hope that he
will call out people who are scaremongering about these deals, as
the deals are good for our producers and good for driving global
standards, and they will be good for our economy and wages in
this country.
My right hon. Friend and her Department are to be massively
congratulated on having got to the final stages of the CPTPP
agreement. It is a market worth £8.4 trillion. Does she agree
that it presents an enormous opportunity to propel our exports
into a very high growth area of the world in the Pacific Rim and
that it will have particular implications for certain sectors
such as food and drink and financial services?
I thank my hon. Friend for his kind remarks. There are indeed
many people across the Department and our network around the
world who are to be congratulated on getting us this far. He is
right: there are massive benefits in market opportunities, but
the deal will also have a disproportionately positive effect on
sectors here that have high wages. That will really help in
creating jobs with above average wages. We will work very hard to
ensure that we can realise those opportunities in the shortest
possible time.
Flow of Goods from the EU
(Edinburgh South West)
(SNP)
13. What steps her Department is taking to (a) reduce barriers to
and (b) increase the speed of the flow of goods from the EU to
the UK. (905865)
The Minister for Trade Policy ()
Removing barriers to trade is the core business of this
Department, and we have plans to introduce the best border in the
world by 2025.
I thank the Minister for her answer. Unfortunately, Brexit has
erected trade barriers with the European Union, and businesses
are struggling with imports and exports. A new business in my
Edinburgh South West constituency lost thousands of pounds
importing a consignment of honey, because it lacked the correct
paperwork. A huge amount of effort went into sorting out that
paperwork, which was ultimately unsuccessful. The Scottish
chamber of commerce tells me that Scottish businesses are
effectively spending twice as much in costs due to
inconsistencies in interpreting rules for imports and exports
across the European Union and its partnership countries. This
situation has been brought about by Brexit, so the Government
have a responsibility to help businesses, such as the one in my
constituency that I mentioned. Will the Minister reopen the
Brexit support fund to help business?
I would say two things in response to that. First, much of the
friction that the hon. and learned Lady is talking about is
coming from the EU’s requirements on us. In voting for Brexit, it
was not our intention, or the nation’s motivation, to erect trade
barriers. The problem was that the price of frictionless trade
was too high. That is why the UK has left the EU. What we want to
do is remove barriers; we want as frictionless trade as possible.
I hope that she will help us make the case to the EU to do
that.
We have the Export Support Service which the Under-Secretary of
State for International Trade, my hon. Friend the Member for
Finchley and Golders Green () has spoken about, and also the
Trader Support Service, which is focused absolutely on these
issues. There is also financial support to enable businesses to
export or to get their sectors better prepared for some of the
challenges that they are facing. Our door—I speak for all
Ministers—is always open to the hon. and learned Lady if she
wants to raise individual cases. We stand behind our producers,
our manufacturers and our exporters, and we will do everything we
can to ensure that they are maximising the opportunities
available to them.
Agricultural Exports to EU
(Arfon) (PC)
15. What steps she is taking to support agricultural exports to
the EU. (905867)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International
Trade ()
We support our farmers and food producers through all stages of
their export journey to Europe and across the world. That
includes support to exhibit at global food and drink trade events
such as Sial in Paris and through the UK trade show programme. We
also provide support through our network of agriculture, food and
drink trade advisers based across Europe and we are working with
the National Farmers Union and the Agriculture and Horticulture
Development Board to establish a mentoring programme for
agricultural exporters.
The British Veterinary Association reports that over the past two
years the number of EU vets registering for work in the UK has
fallen by two thirds, while demand for food-related export
certificates has increased 12-fold, by 1,255%. Wales was denied a
seat at the trade negotiations, of course, and now Welsh farmers
face increased competition from New Zealand and Australia. Is the
hon. Gentleman really satisfied that his Government here in
London are supporting Welsh food exports?
Yes.
Topical Questions
(Harrow East) (Con)
T1. If she will make a statement on her departmental
responsibilities.(905839)
The Secretary of State for International Trade ()
In light of Russia’s outrageous, unprovoked invasion of Ukraine
it is more important than ever that we stand together with those
who share our values and take swift and firm action against those
who seek to overthrow democracy and threaten our allies. Trade
between friends and allies promotes growth and prosperity and, in
a climate of mutual respect, free and fair trading rules bring a
mutual economic and cultural boost between nations.
Last week I was in Singapore to sign our new digital economy
agreement, the most innovative trade agreement ever signed. The
digital sector alone adds £150 billion to the economy and lifts
wages, with workers earning around 50% more than the UK average.
The agreement connects the UK to the fastest-growing economies in
the Asia- Pacific region and furthers our bid to join Singapore
and 10 other nations in the trans-Pacific partnership. Membership
will mean access to a free trade area with a GDP of £8.4 trillion
and vast opportunities for our UK exporters.
On Monday this week, I signed the UK-New Zealand free trade
agreement with my fellow Trade Minister Damien O’Connor. The
agreement is the UK’s second trade deal negotiated from scratch
since leaving the EU. We are demonstrating that global Britain
can achieve as a sovereign trading nation, and we are
strengthening ties with a close ally that shares our firm belief
in free and fair trade.
I congratulate my right hon. Friend on the trade deals thus far.
Last week we held an excellent debate in Westminster Hall on the
UK-India talks, and I congratulate her also on kicking those
talks off. Will she update the House on the progress of those
talks, and can she ensure that we conclude them by the end of
this calendar year?
On 13 January this year, our UK-India FTA negotiations were
launched in Delhi. That first round concluded on 28 January.
Discussions were productive and reflected the UK and India’s
shared ambition to secure a comprehensive deal that will boost
trade for both our nations. The positive discussions laid the
groundwork for the UK and India to make positive and efficient
progress, and the second round is due to begin on 7 March. I
would not wish to give a precise landing zone, but we are working
very closely and with optimism and effort on both sides.
(Torfaen) (Lab)
The whole House stands in solidarity with the Ukrainian people,
who are defending the right of sovereign nations to live in
freedom with courage, determination and fortitude. Labour
supports the toughest possible economic sanctions on Putin’s
Russian regime, which is carrying out this barbaric and illegal
invasion. I welcome the restrictions on banking and financial
measures and the export ban on high-end technical equipment and
components in electronics, telecommunications and aerospace, but
at the same time we can and must do more. Labour Members have
called for a total ban on exports of luxury goods to Russia. Will
the Secretary of State heed those calls and commit this
Government to that export ban on luxury goods so that Putin and
his inner circle cannot live a Mayfair lifestyle in Moscow?
It is a great reassurance for the Ukrainians to know that in all
parts of the House, here in the mother of Parliaments, we all
stand together supporting them in every way that we can, and,
across the world, bring together those voices that say, without
exception, that the unprovoked aggression that Putin is showing
Ukraine is unacceptable. We will continue to work across
Government to make sure that we are using our UK powers as well
as working with allies from across the world to tighten the screw
so that Putin and his regime will find it more and more difficult
not only to sustain their military campaigns but also find that
they will no longer have access to their funds. The Foreign
Secretary will continue to work on a number of areas. The impact
of the SWIFT sanctions will be dramatic and catastrophic for
Putin.
I do of course appreciate that it is vital to work together with
friends and allies, but let me push the Secretary of State on
this specific point, because cutting off the supply of luxury
products would send a further signal to those in Putin’s Kremlin,
who have, by the way, often accumulated wealth and possessions at
the expense of the Russian people. We can act on this and we can
act now. So will the Secretary of State work with her colleagues
across Government, and indeed Governments across Europe who have
concerns, whether on clothing, jewellery or diamonds, to get a
comprehensive ban in place to stop Putin and his inner circle
living in luxury while barbaric, evil acts are perpetrated on the
people of Ukraine?
We will continue to work across Government using all the tools I
mentioned, but in the meantime I encourage all those who continue
to export to Ukraine to use the Export Support Service if they
need that support. We will continue to use all the tools at our
disposal to make sure that Putin understands fully that the
behaviour he is demonstrating is absolutely outrageous. The
Foreign Secretary will lead those discussions.
(North Devon) (Con)
T2. We have many successful global exporters home grown in North
Devon, such as Turnstyle Designs, S+H lighting and Saltrock surf
wear, but many smaller companies feel that this is not something
that they can do. Will my hon. Friend highlight what support is
available to companies in remote and rural areas such as North
Devon to help them to grow and export?(905841)
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International
Trade ()
My hon. Friend makes a very good point. We have already
undertaken over 80 virtual Export Academy events in the
south-west of England. If she would like to attend the export
showcase on 9 March, we can show her the full range of support
that we can provide to her companies.
(Gower) (Lab)
Farmers in Wales and in Gower are rightly angry because the
Government’s own assessment shows that it is the beef and sheep
markets that are going to suffer in the light of the Australia
and New Zealand deals. Farmers in Wales cannot and never will be
able to compete on price. How do Ministers and the Secretary of
State square that circle and protect the livelihoods of farmers
in Wales?
The Minister for Trade Policy ()
In all these deals we need to stay focused on what are the actual
benefits and what are the actual risks for farmers and producers.
To give one example, currently New Zealand does not use even half
of its quota, so the notion that this market is suddenly going to
be flooded with sheep meat from New Zealand is not correct. We
need to look at the facts on this. There will be opportunities
for our producers and that is what we need to stay focused
on.
(Ipswich) (Con)
T3. Both myself and my hon. Friend the Member for Peterborough
() had the great privilege of
visiting Bangladesh last month with the Al-Tazid Foundation,
where we had the opportunity to meet not only His Excellency the
High Commissioner, who is doing such a fantastic job, but the
Bangladeshi Foreign Minister. We also took part in the business
side. Bangladesh’s economy is growing at great pace; it is an
increasingly dynamic economy. I appreciate that we are going to
do a trade deal, but can the Secretary of State outline what
steps are being taken by the Government to intensify trade,
co-operation and investment between our country and
Bangladesh?(905842)
Bangladesh is one of the fastest growing global economies and is
strategically important to the UK as part of the Indo-Pacific
tilt. DIT is preparing to hold a second trade investment dialogue
with Bangladesh this year and there will be a visit by the Prime
Minister’s trade envoy later this month. I am more than happy to
speak to my hon. Friend, and I will ensure that any specific
issues are fed into that dialogue.
Ms Anum Qaisar (Airdrie and Shotts) (SNP)
Trade rules are so often rigged against women, especially women
living in lower income countries. Will the Department commit to
carry out mandatory gender impact assessments on all future UK
trade deals in order to promote greater gender-just trade?
As part of the free trade agreements we have negotiated so far,
we have specific gender chapters, because we wish to use the
authority and the commitments that we make to these issues and
work with these friends and allies with whom we are drawing trade
agreements together. We want to ensure that we push for those
values and for ground-level opportunities for SMEs led by women
across the world, so that they can achieve.
(Thirsk and Malton)
(Con)
T4. Some pork producers, including Cranswick, which has premises
in Thirsk and Malton, did the right thing and self-suspended
export licences to China due to a covid outbreak. Seventeen
months later, those licences have not been reinstated. Can we do
whatever we can to get these licences back in place? It would
help Cranswick, those other producers and the pig industry
generally, which is suffering quite badly.(905843)
My hon. Friend is right to raise this issue, and it needs to be
resolved swiftly. Ministers from across this Department are
lobbying to that effect, as are our Ministers in the Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and the Prime Minister
has raised it personally.
(York Central)
(Lab/Co-op)
It cannot be business as usual. As many countries are needing to
divest and diversify their energy supply away from Russia, what
trade mechanisms can the Secretary of State put in place to
ensure that the UK can be part of that effort to assist those
countries achieving that objective?
As we continue to look at how we can use our sanctions powers and
work with allies across the world, things like the new sanctions
brought in by the Secretary of State for Transport over the past
week will start to bite on energy flows coming out of Russia.
(West Worcestershire)
(Con)
T5. I warmly welcome the new trade deals that are being
announced. Not all of them include financial services, which is
our biggest export sector. Working closely with the Treasury, can
the Secretary of State update the House on where the strategic
focus is in increasing access for financial services firms and
financial services exports?(905844)
The Government remain committed to championing export
opportunities for our world-class financial services businesses.
Through targeted export campaigns and an expansion of existing
support services, we are promoting trade opportunities across the
financial services spectrum and in specific areas such as asset
management, green finance, fintech and insurance. The Government
are also signing ambitious free trade agreements that will open
new markets and reduce market access barriers for UK financial
services, and I am in regular dialogue with the City Minister, my
hon. Friend the Member for Salisbury () on these issues.
(Sefton Central) (Lab)
When the Secretary of State responded to the question about
luxury goods by not answering it, it begs the question, why not,
and raises the question of whether there are conflicts of
interest behind it. The contrast with Syria, where export
controls were put in place, is stark. If it was appropriate for
Syria, why is it not appropriate for Russia? I remind her of her
words. She talked about working with allies and tightening the
screw, so will she now, with her colleagues across Government,
put in place that ban on luxury goods?
First, as someone who has been personally threatened by Alexander
Temerko, I would just say that the hon. Gentleman is wrong to
make insinuations about Members of Parliament in that respect. If
we are going to assist this situation, stop those who are enemies
of this state and have clean politics at both ends of this House,
we need to focus on individuals, their moral obligations and what
they have and have not done. The hon. Gentleman caveated his
remarks to the Prime Minister yesterday in that spirit, so I
caution him to follow his own advice.
On the issue of luxury goods, many products have been exported
not only to Russia, but to other countries supporting Russia’s
appalling, barbaric war.
There are obviously complex legal obligations surrounding that,
which is why the Department has stood up the export support
service. There was much criticism of Italy’s carve-out on those
products, which I think was wrong. Our objective is clear: Russia
must pay the price for this barbaric war and our policies will do
that.
Mr Speaker
Order. We ought to be cautious about the language we use against
Members. I support the Minister, who is suffering heavily from
intimidation from people who I would not support. Let us be a bit
more cautious about how we put things in future.
(Harwich and North Essex)
(Con)
I echo the words of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State
and of the Opposition in condemning the Ukraine invasion and in
their criticism of Russia. It goes far wider than that, however,
and it certainly cannot be business as usual, as the hon. Member
for York Central () just said. The free world
is now in an existential struggle with despotic regimes such as
Russia and China. What does global trade look like in the new
era? I invite my right hon. Friend to—
Mr Speaker
Order. They have to be short questions. [Interruption.] In
fairness, Sir Bernard, you know better than anybody, which is why
you are the Chair of the Liaison Committee. I think the Secretary
of State has got the message.
Can she bring forward the White Paper?
Mr Speaker
Do you want to leave? Seriously, it is not fair to other Members.
I have to look after all Back Benchers.
We will continue to work across Government and with our allies to
ensure that Putin’s regime feels the absolute force of all the
sanctions that we can bring to bear.
(Huddersfield)
(Lab/Co-op)
Short question: I have every respect for the Secretary of State.
Will she promise to burn the midnight oil and do something very
dramatic to take on Russia and those countries that have failed
to criticise it?
The hon. Gentleman will be pleased to hear that not only I but
every member of the Cabinet and all our Ministers are indeed
burning the midnight oil to ensure that, as we work with our
allies across the world, the message is absolutely clear and that
pain—economic and other—is felt firmly by Putin.
(Stoke-on-Trent Central) (Con)
This year’s research by Social Enterprise UK has found that
social enterprises are overtaking the rest of the private sector
in the proportion of firms that are exporting overseas. Does my
hon. Friend agree that that shows the value of greater diversity
in business?
My hon. Friend is absolutely right. With my other hat on as
Minister for Equalities, I can say that with the full support of
the Secretary of State, we are working to ensure that the
exporters and their supply chains are fully representative of all
sections of society.
(Rutherglen and Hamilton
West) (Ind)
What conversations has the Secretary of State had with her
counterparts in the Scottish Government about how to increase
Scottish exports to South American countries?
I am planning to visit our new trade and investment office in
Edinburgh and I look forward to a dialogue with my counterpart at
the first opportunity.
(Blackpool South) (Con)
Can the Secretary of State update the House on the plans for a
UK-Israel innovation summit and free trade agreement, following
her recent visit?
Israel is one of our strongest allies and largest partners in
global trade. We are working closely with our Israeli
counterparts to deliver a successful summit in the next few
weeks.
(North West Leicestershire)
(Con)
Does my right hon. Friend agree that although the big landmark
trade deals, such as those with Australia and New Zealand, grab
all the headlines, of equal importance is the less-publicised
work that she is doing to tear down the trade barriers that
prevent the export of British goods and services around the
world?
My hon. Friend is exactly right. Not only do the free trade
agreements open the door for new opportunities to take away
market access barriers but we continue to work week in, week out
to pick off those market access barriers that can release more
trade with friends and allies around the world. Some 200 of those
have been cleared in the last month and we will continue to work
closely on others. I encourage businesses that have particular
issues to bring them to the Department’s attention.
(The Cotswolds)
(Con)
In standing four-square with the people of Ukraine, it is
important that we really make sanctions work and the Government
have led the world in doing that. Crypto- currencies have been
widely used to evade sanctions. Will my right hon. Friend look
into that matter?
I will ensure that my Treasury colleagues take note of my hon.
Friend’s question.
(Rother Valley)
(Con)
Steel is hugely important for Rotherham and Rother Valley, which
is why it is essential to see the tariffs set by the United
States on British steel dropped as soon as possible. Can my right
hon. Friend outline what steps she is taking to get a resolution
on this to get more jobs for Rother Valley and Rotherham?
My hon. Friend is a champion for Rother Valley, and he will be
pleased to know that our section 232 tariff negotiations are
going well. I will be speaking to my opposite number, Secretary
Raimondo, in the next few days, and we hope to reach a conclusion
very shortly.
(Strangford) (DUP)
In Northern Ireland, there are 123,000 SMEs. What steps is the
Secretary of State taking to ensure they are awarded the same
trade opportunities as those in the rest of the United Kingdom,
and has the Northern Ireland protocol hindered trade
opportunities for SMEs?
I will raise that with my colleagues in the Northern Ireland
Office to make sure that they have full access to all the trade
support mechanisms that I outlined previously to ensure that all
Northern Ireland businesses are fully aware of all the support
packages available to them.
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