Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the ongoing trade dispute between the United States and China has on (1) global GDP, and (2) the UK economy.

The UK remains concerned about the current trade tensions which could adversely affect growth in global GDP. The IMF recently estimated this to be in the order of -0.5% of global GDP in 2020. The UK is engaging with partners across the globe to seek a resolution. We are clear that nobody benefits from trade wars.

The UK shares some of the US’s concerns with China’s trade practices and believes they should be addressed through structural reform in China and through multilateral cooperation, including ambitious reform of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The UK supports a global rules-based trade system. Any actions from either party must be WTO compliant.