Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether she has plans to negotiate the removal of US tariffs on UK steel and aluminium.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
My Rt. Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade has spoken with the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, most recently on 12 November, to press for a quick resolution to the Section 232 tariffs. The removal of additional US tariffs on steel and aluminium is a key priority for the Government. We are engaging with the US Administration regularly on this issue and continue to push for the start of negotiations and the removal of 232 tariffs as soon as possible.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with her US counterparts on removing US tariffs on UK steel and aluminium.
Answered by Penny Mordaunt - Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Commons
My Rt. Hon Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade has spoken with the US Trade Representative Katherine Tai and Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, most recently on 12 November, to press for a quick resolution to the Section 232 tariffs. The removal of additional US tariffs on steel and aluminium is a key priority for the Government. We are engaging with the US Administration regularly on this issue and continue to push for the start of negotiations and the removal of 232 tariffs as soon as possible.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent discussions she has had with her counterpart in the Israeli government on a UK-Israel free trade deal.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement was signed on 18th February 2019. This Agreement will enter into force at the end of the Transition Period on 1st January 2021 and will allow businesses to trade as freely as they do now, without additional tariffs or barriers.
Total trade between the United Kingdom and Israel increased by 15 per cent in 2019 to £5.1bn. We value this trade relationship and are committed to strengthening it, so we will seek to work with counterparts in the new Israeli government to host a bilateral trade and investment summit in London.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking to promote Yorkshire and Lincolnshire based businesses and produce in international markets.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Businesses across Yorkshire and Lincolnshire have access to Department for International Trade (DIT) support through International Trade Advisers, HM Trade Commissioners and their teams overseas, the GREAT digital export services hub and UK Export Finance. Our trade missions, including those centred on trade shows and exhibitions, have enabled them to showcase their products overseas and connect with live opportunities. In response to COVID-19, we are adapting our support, for example through webinars and ‘virtual’ trade missions. Additional funding this year will enhance our support through more trade advisers, new overseas regional champions, a new export growth programme and other activities delivered with regional partners.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps his Department is taking to support UK steel exports.
Answered by Graham Stuart
Officials within the Department for International Trade including UK Export Finance have met UK Steel and their members through the establishment of a steel export taskforce that was set up to discuss and explore how we can support UK based steel companies through international trade and the services we offer. Analysis suggests MENA, India and ASEAN are markets where demand for steel is growing strongly.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how his Department is working with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy to attract foreign direct investment into the Industrial Strategy.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The Department for International Trade (DIT) leads on Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) policy.
DIT has been working closely with colleagues in the BEIS Industrial Strategy team, to ensure the closest possible alignment of activity to support the Strategy’s initiatives around growing clusters and sectors, and the promotion of FDI through DIT’s FDI strategy.
This will deliver a more targeted approach to promotion and investor support, and better address market failures to maximise wealth creation across the UK. From April 2018, we will change our measure of performance from the volume of projects landed to a comprehensive measure of economic impact.
Alongside this DIT will work with local partners to identify High Potential Opportunities that are currently overlooked, misunderstood, or underestimated, and therefore not achieving their full potential. Targeted promotion and support around these opportunities will help to address the market failures that leave these places at a disadvantage, by presenting investors with a more complete picture of supply.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to increase the amount of foreign direct investment in the North of England.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The Department for International Trade’s (DIT) Northern Powerhouse (NPH) Investment Taskforce, established in 2016 after consultation with partners in the north, undertakes three primary activities: its 5 sector specialists research and collate the commercial strengths of the north and showcase these to target investors; it briefs DIT’s network in 108 countries on these NPH strengths, through webinars and inward visits, so the network can talk knowledgeably and passionately about the NPH with investors; and it supports existing foreign investors in growing their business in the UK by providing a framework and funding for local partners to key account manage companies which are not already on DIT’s key account management framework.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress his Department has made on supporting UK investment banks to break into emerging markets.
Answered by Mark Garnier
Working closely with our colleagues at HM Treasury and where industry has appetite, the Department for International Trade here and overseas is supporting UK (investment) banks and other financial institutions with market access and outward direct investment. In particular, the Economic Financial Dialogues and our regular engagement in China, Brazil and India has contributed to some notable developments. Most recently, China announced on November 10 that they will open up their laws in banking and other financial services to allow majority foreign ownership.
Asked by: Andrew Percy (Conservative - Brigg and Goole)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what plans he has to support UK (a) business, (b) technology and (c) cyber-security consultancies to gain access to developing markets overseas.
Answered by Mark Garnier
The Department for International Trade (DIT) supports the UK's world-leading business, technology and cyber-security consultancies to succeed in the global marketplace, including developing markets. On the 1 December 2017, my noble Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Export Promotion (Baroness Rona Fairhead) launched the DIT Export Strategy, focusing on where government can make a real difference to UK companies looking to trade overseas, in line with the recently published Industrial Strategy. This will incorporate access to finance and insurance offered by UK Export Finance.
DIT's Defence & Security Organisation (DSO) have a cyber security export team, led by the UK Cyber Security Ambassador, that seeks to promote UK cyber security expertise and capability for commercial and national security objectives. UK cyber security exports were valued at c.£1.5 billion in 2016, forecast to rise to c.£2.7 billion by 2021. DIT supports UK cyber security companies to secure and grow their overseas sales and will publish a refreshed Cyber Security Export Strategy shortly.