Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made since the UK–Africa Investment Summit in January in relation to their (1) trade policy for, (2) investment in, (3) exports to, (4) trade, but not export, finance with, and (5) trade agreements with, countries in Africa; and how UK trade objectives support the objectives of the Africa Continental Free Trade Agreement.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
At the United Kingdom-Africa Investment Summit we committed to be Africa’s trade and investment partner of choice. Nearly one year on, and despite the challenging backdrop of the coronavirus pandemic, we have sustained this effort. All the deals and investor commitments made around the event have progressed, with further investments added since.
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has directly supported exports to Africa returning over £1bn to the UK economy already this year, and we have now signed 7 trade agreements covering 14 African nations total trade (exports and imports) in goods and services, worth £20.4bn in 2019. Total trade between the United Kingdom and these 14 African nations has grown by 21% since 2009. The Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which will start trading on 1 January 2021, offers great promise. We are a leading supporter of AfCFTA negotiations as recently recognised by AfCFTA champion, President Issoufou of Niger. We will support the new Secretariat in Accra, national level implementation, as well as the on-going negotiations.
These efforts will keep the UK at the forefront of African trade policy development, supporting delivery of our economic development and poverty reduction objectives, and drive the establishment of a new market for UK investors and businesses.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether there are any differences between the existing EU agreements and those that the UK has negotiated within the Trade Agreement Continuity programme that affect UK exporters; and if so, when business readiness advice will be published to help those exporters understand those changes.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
With our Trade Agreement Continuity programme, we have sought to replicate the effects of existing EU free trade agreements with trading partners to ensure continuity for businesses following the transition period.
Whilst we have transitioned our existing EU agreements for the most part, in some cases we have applied bespoke solutions in individual agreements for technical reasons. Exact changes are specified in each Agreement and in its accompanying Parliamentary Report.
HM Government is committed to ensuring that all British businesses can take advantage of the significant economic benefits of exporting. Our ambitious free trade agreement programme and market access work is already helping to unlock new opportunities for exporters worldwide.
We provide direct support to both new and existing exporters, to make sure firms have the confidence and expertise they need to export around the world. Access to finance is also important to business, and the export finance available from UK Export Finance, our export credit agency, helps companies win export contracts, fulfil contracts, and get paid.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to begin negotiations on a fully-revised free trade agreement in the case of each continuity agreement they have reached in preparation for the end of the transition period for the UK's departure from the EU.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
In under two years, HM Government has signed or agreed in principle trade agreements with 58 countries. Total United Kingdom trade with these countries was worth £198 billion in 2019.
Beyond the end of the transition period, the United Kingdom continues to have an ambitious Free Trade Agreement programme. We will continue to progress our negotiations with the USA, Australia and New Zealand, as well as prepare for our accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). We will also look to refresh a number of previously signed or agreed in principle trade agreements, where we are legally obliged to do so. This will help ensure we have deals that are specific to United Kingdom trading interests.
We will need to consider the timing of these agreements alongside a suite of other policy initiatives.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what the objectives of their trade in services strategy are, beyond those regarding exports; and how they plan for those objectives to be delivered through (1) bilateral trade negotiations, and (2) plurilateral and multilateral dialogue at international institutions.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
As the world’s second largest exporter of services, it is in the British national interest to champion greater services liberalisation globally, now we have left the EU.
We will use our independent trade policy to tackle barriers to trade in services and ensure open, fair market access overseas for British businesses. We will negotiate best-in-class rules for all services sectors, as well as sector specific rules for key export sectors such as financial services, professional and business services, telecommunications and transport services. We aim to secure certainty and predictability for British services exporters overseas, along with transparency on services regulation internationally. We want to secure opportunities for British services suppliers and investors to operate overseas through provisions for temporary business travel and supporting the recognition of professional qualifications.
At the same time, we will make sure that decisions about how public services, including the NHS, are delivered are made by HM Government (or the devolved administrations, as appropriate). We will do this through multilateral or plurilateral engagement at the World Trade Organisation (WTO), such as the Joint Initiatives on e-commerce and domestic regulation, and by negotiating ambitious services chapters into new free trade agreements that benefit both British businesses and the British people.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to communicate with interested UK parties in the event of trade deals not being reached with (1) Turkey, and (2) Mexico, by 31 December 2020.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
As of 15th December, we have reached agreements with 58 countries, covering trade worth £198 billion, which includes the agreement with Mexico, which was signed on the 15th December.
The Department for International Trade (DIT) has published clear, accurate, and up-to-date information and guidance for business on GOV.UK and we will continue to provide guidance to business, including the latest information on agreements with partners such as Turkey, and will further supplement the detailed guidance already available online, as we approach the end of the transition period.
The Department is in regular contact with business and has also created free-to-use online tools (Trade with the UK and Check How to Export Goods) so that businesses can check product-specific and country-specific information on tariffs and regulations that currently apply to trade in goods. These tools are regularly updated to reflect any changes.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to use their co-Chair role on the Commonwealth Digital Connectivity Cluster to advance the digitisation of trade documentation.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
The fourth Commonwealth Digital Connectivity Cluster meeting took place on the 8th of December. The overall theme for the Connectivity Clusters as they have been meeting is digital resilience and economic recovery. This follows the Commonwealth Statement on the Covid-19 Pandemic where Heads of Government sought to reduce barriers and promote the adoption of digital technologies as a positive enabler in order to increase resilient, inclusive and diverse trade and investment. The United Kingdom co-leads the Digital Connectivity Cluster with South Africa, where we have worked to ensure digitising trade documents is among the topics for discussion.
Digital trade facilitation and the digitisation of trade documentation specifically delivers benefits for businesses of all sizes and has acquired an even greater importance in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that rules of origin may be declared on signed commercial invoices without the need to seek certification from external sources.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
HM Government is committed to seeking modern Rules of Origin that are clear, simple and facilitate trade. In the United Kingdom-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), for instance, we negotiated a system of self-certification and, in line with our commitments at the World Trade Organisation, HM Government has committed to maintain a self-certification proof of origin on a commercial invoice for Least Developed Countries. Additionally, transitioned agreements will continue to allow the option of a declaration made out on a commercial invoice where this was allowed under the EU agreement. HM Revenue and Customs continues to consider other methods to streamline customs procedures.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that manufacturers are aware of the regulatory frameworks established in new trade deals with third countries during the period when 'roll over' agreements continue to apply EU regulations.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
When trade agreements are signed, the Department for International Trade publishes clear, accurate and up-to-date information about it. GOV.UK contains links to guidance on continuity agreements signed to date; these agreements aim to secure the existing trading arrangements that British businesses had through EU trade deals.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that their international trade agreements are consistent with their existing international treaty obligations on (1) intellectual property in general, and (2) the Convention on the Grant of European Patents.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
The United Kingdom has a robust intellectual property regime and will remain fully compliant with the World Trade Organisation’s framework for intellectual property, the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement. We remain a full member of the World Intellectual Property Organisation and a party to international agreements on intellectual property too.
As stated in our published negotiating objectives for the negotiations with the US, Australia and New Zealand, we are committed to ensuring that any provisions agreed in future trade agreements are consistent with our existing international obligations, including the European Patent Convention (EPC), to which the United Kingdom is party.
Asked by: Viscount Waverley (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that intellectual property standards within future trade agreements are maintained at a level at least the same as those of the UK.
Answered by Lord Grimstone of Boscobel
The United Kingdom’s intellectual property (IP) regime is consistently rated as one of the best in the world. HM Government sees future trade agreements as opportunities to build on our global leadership in this area to develop a world-class IP chapter, reflecting the strengths of our domestic regime and supporting growth and innovation.
Getting the right outcome for British inventors, creators and consumers will be key as we develop our trading relationships with other countries. One of our priorities will be making sure that future trade agreement negotiations do not negatively impact on the standards and balance of the United Kingdom‘s regime or the ability to promote trade in intellectual property.