US Steel and Aluminium Tariffs
Lord Macpherson of Earl's Court Excerpts(2 weeks ago)
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Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)
My Lords, we will hear from the noble Baroness, Lady Hoey, next and then the noble Lord, Lord Caine.
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Lab)
My Lords, Northern Ireland is a part of the United Kingdom’s customs territory and internal market. We will continue to monitor closely the impact on Northern Ireland of any tariffs. While the framework means that tariffs would apply on US goods moved into Northern Ireland for the limited subset of US goods in line with its protection of the UK and EU markets, there is a duty reimbursement scheme in place where those goods do not enter the EU. The duty reimbursement scheme enables traders to reclaim or remit applicable duties in full without any limit on total claims. Businesses moving goods into Northern Ireland should contact HMRC for more information about these schemes.
Lord Macpherson of Earl’s Court (CB)
My Lords, does the Minister agree that tariffs harm consumers and encourage industrial inefficiency? Does she agree that the British economy was at its most successful when it was pursuing a policy of unilateral free trade in the 19th century?
Baroness Jones of Whitchurch (Lab)
The noble Lord makes an important point about our commitment to free trade. The Prime Minister has made our position absolutely clear on this matter. I am sure there are lessons from history that we can learn on all of this. We will continue to promote our policy of free trade and encourage new agreements wherever it is in our interest.