Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 7 June 2021 to Question 8561 on Electric Vehicles: Import Duties, how many of the UK’s existing trade agreements do not allow for tariff-free access for exports of electric vehicles.
Answered by Greg Hands
Tariff-free access for UK exports of electric vehicles is provided by the EU as well as 33 of 67 countries the UK has concluded agreements with, including Japan, South Korea, Switzerland and Turkey. A further 20 countries provide staged preferential tariff reductions until full liberalisation, mainly by 2023.
There are 9 countries that do not offer tariff-free access for exports, and 5 that offer partial tariff-free access. These countries are largely part of Economic Partnership Agreements which are development-focussed free trade agreements, where the UK has usually agreed to liberalise its markets to a greater extent than its developing country partners, including with Kenya and the Pacific States, and remain unchanged from access granted under the original EU agreements.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many of the UK’s existing trade agreements do not allow for tariff-free trade in electric vehicles.
Answered by Greg Hands
Of the 34 trade agreements that the UK has signed to date, all provide tariff-free access relating to imports on electric vehicles, except within 4 agreements: Canada, Japan, Ukraine and Viet Nam.
Electric vehicles are subject to staged annual tariff reductions with these agreements, with tariff-free imports commencing in January 2022 (Canada, Viet Nam), January 2023 (Ukraine) and February 2026 (Japan).
Tariff free trade in electric vehicles demonstrates the UK’s commitment to tackling climate change and supports wider government policy to achieve net zero emissions by 2050.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the HMRC Guidance entitled Commercial policy measures of imported products originating in the USA (Tariff stop press notice 49) published on 16 November 2020, what discussions she has had with Cabinet colleagues on the criteria for determining which products imported into the EU from the US should be subject to additional customs duties following adjudications in the WTO dispute DS353 United States – Measures Affecting Trade in Large Civil Aircraft.
Answered by Greg Hands
The World Trade Organisation (WTO) authorised the imposition of countermeasures in the WTO Boeing dispute (DS353) on 26 October. The products impacted by these additional duties were selected from a consultation the EU ran in May 2019. The EU Member States voted on the final list at the Trade Barriers Committee in November. Following withdrawal from the EU, the UK does not participate in this committee.
Escalating tariffs is ultimately in nobody’s interest. The UK continues to push for a negotiated settlement to the Airbus and Boeing disputes and the removal of punitive tariffs.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the HMRC Guidance entitled Commercial policy measures of imported products originating in the USA (Tariff stop press notice 49) published on 16 November 2020, what assessment the Government made of potential effect on British bicycle manufacturers and retailers of additional customs duties on imports from the US of products used as bicycle components.
Answered by Greg Hands
The tariffs referred to are imposed as part of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) award of retaliatory rights in the Boeing dispute, recognising harm felt by UK and European industries as a result of US subsidies.
The UK Government continues to push for a swift de-escalation of the Airbus and Boeing disputes. We want a negotiated settlement and to remove punitive tariffs that unnecessarily harm businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic, who are already dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.
For the remainder of the Transition Period, the United Kingdom will automatically impose the EU’s retaliatory measures under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. From January 2021 the United Kingdom will represent itself independently in disputes at the WTO and shall undertake such actions as are in the best interests of the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, with reference to the HMRC Guidance entitled Commercial policy measures of imported products originating in the USA (Tariff stop press notice 49) published on 16 November 2020, whether the additional customs duties on bicycle components imported from the US will apply after the end of the transition period.
Answered by Greg Hands
The tariffs referred to are imposed as part of the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) award of retaliatory rights in the Boeing dispute, recognising harm felt by UK and European industries as a result of US subsidies.
The UK Government continues to push for a swift de-escalation of the Airbus and Boeing disputes. We want a negotiated settlement and to remove punitive tariffs that unnecessarily harm businesses and consumers on both sides of the Atlantic, who are already dealing with the COVID-19 crisis.
For the remainder of the Transition Period, the United Kingdom will automatically impose the EU’s retaliatory measures under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. From January 2021 the United Kingdom will represent itself independently in disputes at the WTO and shall undertake such actions as are in the best interests of the United Kingdom.
Asked by: Kerry McCarthy (Labour - Bristol East)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will publish the criteria for determining the application of anti-dumping duties on imported bicycles at the end of the transition period.
Answered by Graham Stuart
In preparation for the end of the transition period, the Department for International Trade assessed whether the EU anti-dumping measure on bicycles should continue to apply after the transition period. This was done through a Call for Evidence process, which was a technical exercise based on objective evidence from businesses, validated through reputable, publicly available sources.
The criteria for the assessment as to whether an existing EU measure, such as the measure on bicycles, should be maintained in the UK were as follows: