Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make her policy to maintain the protections granted in the 2018 Economic Partnership Agreement in relation to Scotch Whisky exports to Japan.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK and Japanese governments started negotiating a UK-Japan Free Trade Agreement on 9 June. The Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) will be used as the basis?and may be enhanced?in areas of?mutual?interest.
Regarding the protection of the Scotch Whisky Geographical Indication (GI) in Japan, the UK’s published negotiating objectives for trade negotiations with Japan state that “the UK will secure protections for UK GIs”. The UK Government recognises the high value of GIs to both the communities that produce them and as illustrations of the wide range of quality British products enjoyed around the world.
Regarding tariffs, UK exporters will continue to be able to export Whisky to Japan duty free as Japan applies no tariffs to their Whisky imports regardless of which country the imports come from.
Asked by: David Mundell (Conservative - Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has made representations to her counterparts in the (a) EU and (b) US Administration on urgently suspending tariffs on US and EU consumer goods as a result of the steel-aluminium and Airbus disputes during the covid-19 outbreak, in order to support Scottish exporters that are subject to US tariffs.
Answered by Greg Hands - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
The UK Government takes the negative impact of US tariffs and the additional impact of Covid-19 on Scottish exporters very seriously.
Last week, my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade engaged with her opposite numbers in both the US administration and the European Commission. She will continue to work with the EU, other Airbus nations and the US on a negotiated settlement to the Airbus-Boeing disputes. She will also continue to push the US and work with the EU for the removal of tariffs on both sides of the Atlantic and the rebalancing measures imposed in response.