Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions he has had with members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service on the effect of the introduction of steel and aluminium tariffs by the US Administration on Northern Ireland.

Ministers and officials from the Department for International Trade are in regular contact with representatives from the Devolved Administrations including the Northern Ireland Executive on a range of trade issues, including the imposition of these tariffs.

The Government continues to press for a permanent EU exemption from what the Prime Minister has described as an ‘unjustified and deeply disappointing’ decision. The UK has been fully supportive of the EU’s imposition of countermeasures.