World Trade Organization

Lord Fox Excerpts

Monday 9th November 2026 Lords Chamber

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

I agree with the noble Lord that we have to abide by the rules-based trading system. As he knows, Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom are among the members using the WTO’s interim appeals arrangement, which currently has 61 members. It allows participating countries to resolve disputes without an appeal disappearing into the void while the appellate body remains paralysed. We continue to press for a functioning dispute settlement system that is accessible to every WTO member country, whether big or small, advanced or developing.

[Lord Fox (LD)]

My Lords, the noble Lord is right to emphasise the importance of a rules-based trading system and multilateralism. Although the WTO is stalled at the moment, there has been progress with the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. As of Tuesday 1 September, UK businesses had full access to the CPTPP bloc. Can the Minister tell us what his department is doing to help British business, particularly SMEs, take advantage of this opportunity?

[Lord Leong (Lab)]

My Lords, the noble Lord makes a good point about trade agreements that we have signed with various countries, such as the CPTPP and the India free trade deal. Through our current dialogue, whether with the EU or the CPTPP, we are building support among members to reform the WTO. As Minister for Small Business and Enterprise, I speak to trade organisations and small businesses up and down the country and encourage them to take advantage of all the free trade agreements that we have. Governments can sign trade agreements with every other country, but it is meaningless if businesses do not take advantage of them. My ministerial colleagues and I are constantly reminding businesses to take advantage of the opportunities that we have created with these free trade agreements.