Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the types of trade barriers faced by Canadian small and medium-sized enterprises when exporting to the UK; and what steps his Department is taking to reduce regulatory and customs friction for Canadian exporters following the UK's accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

My Department is committed to supporting British exporters, including by ensuring they can trade under CPTPP terms with Canada as soon as possible.

UK businesses will benefit from the CPTPP Customs Chapter, which promotes efficient, consistent, transparent, and predictable customs procedures, while also allowing Parties to maintain effective customs control. CPTPP members have also committed to updating and enhancing the customs Chapter, as set out within the General Review Report in the CPTPP Ministerial Joint Statement, November 2025.

These enhancements will apply to the UK-Canada relationship once CPTPP enters into force between our countries, which should be later this year.