Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to safeguard the preferential access afforded to developing countries in sensitive sectors in the event that the UK is required to apply tariffs on leaving the EU without a deal.

As the UK leaves the EU the Government is seeking continuity of trade arrangements, which will continue to provide valuable access to the UK market for developing countries. The Government is creating a unilateral trade preference scheme which will provide the same level of market access as currently provided through the EU Generalised Scheme of Preferences, through powers in the Taxation (Cross-border trade) Act. It also remains the Government’s intention to seek to replicate the effects of seven development-focussed EU Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) with African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries.

On 31 January 2019, Minister Hollingbery signed the UK-Eastern and Southern Africa EPA. This continuity agreement will allow continued tariff-free imports from Eastern and Southern Africa, providing continuity for businesses, exporters and consumers.