Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if she will make an estimate of the number of (a) vaccines, (b) blood, (c) antisera, (d) toxins and (e) cultures that have not been exported as a result of sanctions against Russia to date.
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
In lockstep with our allies, the UK is introducing the largest and most severe economic sanctions that Russia has ever faced, to help cripple Putin’s war machine. Our sanctions against Russia do not target exports of medicines, nor do they seek to impede delivery of food supplies or humanitarian assistance. Our issue is not with the Russian people but with the actions of the Russian government and its supporters. We are committed to using the full range of tools available where necessary to mitigate unintended consequences on the delivery of humanitarian assistance.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department has taken to promote UK manufacturing exports in the last 12 months..
Answered by Andrew Griffith - Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade
In 2021, DIT launched a new exports campaign for manufacturing businesses - Made in the UK Sold to the World. The campaign, part of our refreshed export strategy, celebrates the quality of the UK manufacturing sector and its global demand. We are harnessing the UK’s potential and supporting businesses across all UK regions and nations to amplify exports opportunities for our manufacturers, engendering pride in local export success.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to increase trade with the UK Overseas Territories.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The Department for International Trade continues to work with the British Overseas Territories and has included an extension mechanism in trade deals, giving them the opportunity to be part of these should they choose.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to increase trade with countries in the Persian Gulf.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The Gulf includes many nations that are long-standing friends and important trading partners for the United Kingdom. Bilateral engagement continues to remove trade barriers and boost trade even further.
With an overall trade relationship worth £32.4 billion in 2020, the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) some of our largest trading partners globally. HM Government has recently completed a fourteen-week public consultation to help make sure we pursue the best trade deal possible for British businesses and the British people. We will start negotiations on a free trade deal with the GCC soon.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to increase trade with Israel.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Israel is an important trading partner, with bilateral trade worth £4.8 billion a year. My Rt Hon. Friend the Prime Minister has committed to enhancing the trading relationship through an upgraded trade deal, building on the trade agreement we have in place today.
My Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade travelled to Israel in early February to meet her counterpart, Orna Barbivai, and discussed the mutual benefit of an upgraded deal focusing on services, digital and innovation. We have launched our consultation on such a deal; formal negotiations cannot begin until the consultation has concluded and the responses fully analysed.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect of the EU’s steel tariff deal with the US on the UK’s steel industry.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
Securing a deal with the US on their Section 232 tariffs is a priority. Both the steel and aluminium industries are important pillars of our economy.
The US-EU deal has only just come into effect, but we are working closely with industry to understand the possible impacts and prepare for our own resolution with the US. The Secretary of State stands ready to take the necessary action to minimise the impact of a US deal with the EU on UK industry. This includes responding to the department’s consultation on the UK’s rebalancing measures.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what her timetable is for brokering a deal to allow UK steel exports to be transported to the US without incurring tariffs.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt
The removal of additional US tariffs on steel and aluminium is a key priority for the Government. The Secretary of State has been pushing for a speedy resolution to the Section 232 tariffs issue and during her December visit to the US she spoke to both the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai as well as the Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo about it. We are engaging with the US Administration regularly on this issue and continue to push for the start of negotiations and the removal of Section 232 tariffs as soon as possible.
Asked by: Matthew Offord (Conservative - Hendon)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to reduce barriers to global trade for British businesses.
Answered by Mike Freer
The Government has an ambitious programme to reduce barriers to global trade for British businesses. Our work on market access focuses on removing regulatory barriers and other impediments to trade globally. As a result, we fully or partially resolved 217 trade barriers across 74 countries in 2020-21, up 20% from 2019-20. We are opening up markets through bilateral trade agreements. We have so far secured trade agreements with 70 countries, plus the EU, covering trade worth £766 billion last year, delivering benefits for communities across the country.