Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
What steps she is taking to support businesses with cross-border supply chains after the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Conor Burns
We are taking steps to support businesses in all scenarios and are working on securing a deal to ensure minimised disruption to supply chains. Our temporary tariff regime, in the event of no-deal, will support supply chains and sensitive sectors in the UK economy.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to (a) roll-over and (b) replace on a bilateral basis outstanding EU trade agreements in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Conor Burns
To date, the UK has signed or agreed in principle agreements with countries that account for 64% of the UK’s trade with all the countries with which the UK is seeking continuity in the event of a potential No Deal. Work is continuing intensively on remaining agreements.
A regularly updated list of agreements signed is available on GOV.UK and alongside a list of remaining agreements: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/existing-trade-agreements-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal/existing-trade-agreements-if-the-uk-leaves-the-eu-without-a-deal
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether his Department will inform businesses of the rule of origin they need to comply with in order to satisfy international tariff and quota arrangements in the event that the UK leaves the EU without a deal.
Answered by Conor Burns
The Government has already published guidance informing business of steps to take in the event of No Deal. This includes guidance on rules of origin and will be updated as required.
For trade with countries where no trade agreement is in place between the UK and those countries, non-preferential rules of origin will apply.
For trade with countries where we have a signed trade agreement in place, the rules of origin that apply can be found in the text of the agreements. These are published online, and the full text, Explanatory Memoranda and Parliamentary Reports for these agreements are laid in the libraries of both Houses.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if he will launch an official market access database to provide information on tariffs by commodity in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Answered by Conor Burns
If the UK leaves the EU without a deal, the Temporary Tariff schedule will apply to UK imports. This policy seeks to balance the impact on consumers from price rises and on producers from exposure to global competition. More information is available on gov.uk. [via: https://www.gov.uk/trade-tariff]
Separately, DIT is also launching a ‘Market Access Service’, through which businesses can submit reports of trade barriers they face in overseas markets. This reporting service will be made available on great.gov.uk in due course.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 14 December 2019 to Question 200631 on EU External Trade: Trade Agreements, how many and what proportion of third countries have confirmed that they will treat the UK as an EU Member State for the purposes of international agreements during the implementation period.
Answered by George Hollingbery
I refer the hon. Member for Streatham to the answer the Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion Baroness Fairhead gave to the noble Lord Teverson on 19 December 2018 (UIN: HL12205).
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many of the trade agreements that the UK has as an EU member with third countries will continue in the event that the UK leaves the EU on 29 March 2019.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The UK will be leaving the EU on 29 March 2019. The Withdrawal Agreement provides the simplest, most efficient mechanism to achieve the continuity in our current trade arrangements with third party countries. If concluded, the EU will notify third countries that the UK is to be treated as a Member State for the purposes of international agreements during the Implementation Period. Many countries have published statements of support for this approach.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many (a) small, (b) medium and (c) large businesses in Lambeth have licences to export outside the EU.
Answered by George Hollingbery
The information is not held in the format requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if the Government will clarify how it intends to negotiate and sign new trade deals while operating an interim customs arrangement with the EU.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
I refer the hon Member for Streatham to the answer I gave him on 20 October, UIN: 107186.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how the Government plans to negotiate and sign new trade deals while still operating within an interim customs arrangement with the EU and while the UK's future trading relationship with the EU remains undecided.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As part of seeking a time-limited interim period with the EU, the UK would intend to pursue new trade negotiations with other countries during this period. It would not bring into effect any new arrangements with third countries which were not consistent with the terms of the interim agreement.
Asked by: Chuka Umunna (Liberal Democrat - Streatham)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether the Government is able to guarantee that new trade deals with third-party countries at least match the value of trade lost by leaving the Customs Union.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
As we leave the EU, the government is committed to ensuring that UK and EU businesses and consumers can continue to trade freely with one another. The UK will seek to agree a time-limited implementation period with the EU, during which access to one another’s markets should continue on current terms. This would help to minimise unnecessary disruption and provide certainty for businesses and individuals in the UK and the EU.
The UK will look to secure greater access to overseas markets for UK goods exports after leaving the EU as well as push for greater liberalisation of global services, investment and procurement markets.