United Kingdom–India Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement
Chris Bryant Excerpts(2 weeks, 4 days ago)
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The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
The comprehensive economic and trade agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of India will enter into force for the United Kingdom today.
This follows both the United Kingdom and India completing the necessary domestic legal and operational procedures to bring the agreement into force. Article 30.6 of the agreement provides for entry into force on a date agreed by the parties. The Government have worked closely with India to ensure an expedited entry into force, enabling businesses and consumers to benefit from the agreement as quickly as possible. This is the fastest that the UK has brought a new FTA from signature to entry into force.
India is currently the United Kingdom’s 11th-largest trading partner and is forecast to become the world's third-largest economy by 2031. As India continues to grow, the agreement positions UK businesses to benefit from new and expanded opportunities in one of the fastest-growing major economies in the world.
The UK-India CETA is a landmark agreement. It is the UK’s most economically significant bilateral trade deal since leaving the EU and will support economic growth across every region and nation across the United Kingdom. It will help put money back into working people’s pockets and delivers on the Government’s plan for change. In the long run, the agreement is expected to increase bilateral trade by £25.5 billion, increase UK GDP by £4.8 billion, and boost wages by £2.2 billion per year. The UK is already seeing anticipatory benefits, with total UK-India trade reaching £47.9 billion last year, an increase of 10% year on year.
From the first day of entry into force, there are significant benefits for the UK. Our exporters will benefit from tariff reductions worth around £400 million per year, rising to approximately £900 million once tariff staging is complete. Average Indian tariffs on UK goods will fall from around 15% to 3%. This includes major cuts for gin and whiskies distillers, with the tariff falling from 150% to 75% at EIF, and down to 40% by year 10; automotive companies, who will benefit from the tariff dropping from up to 110% down to 10% within a quota; and cosmetic companies, with a drop from 22% down to as low as 0%, based on the product line.
The agreement also delivers preferential and unprecedented access to India’s federal Government procurement market, guarantees market access for UK services suppliers, and makes trade quicker, cheaper and easier through improved customs procedures and digital trade provisions, which will particularly help small and medium-sized enterprises to break into the market.
The benefits of the agreement will be felt across all nations and regions of the United Kingdom. Every region is expected to see economic gains, including an estimated £190 million boost for both the west midlands and Scotland, and £210 million for the north-west of England. The agreement also supports the Government’s industrial strategy by backing high-growth sectors across the UK economy.
This agreement represents more than just an improvement in trading terms. At a time when global economic norms are under pressure, this deal demonstrates the United Kingdom’s commitment to open, rules-based trade and to building resilient, long-term partnerships with trusted partners. The UK-India CETA is India’s most ambitious trade agreement to date that they have brought into force, including India’s first ever chapters on anti-corruption, consumer protection, labour rights, the environment, gender and development, and contains the strongest environmental commitments India has agreed to in any trade agreement. It also provides a strong foundation on which the United Kingdom and India can build an even more ambitious trading partnership in the years ahead.
The Government consider this agreement to be a long-term strategic investment in the United Kingdom’s prosperity. To date, we have engaged with more than 9,000 businesses across the United Kingdom and India to help them prepare for entry into force. Going forward, the Government will focus on supporting businesses to make full use of the opportunities provided by the agreement, and on monitoring its implementation closely, including through established agreement governance structures such as the Joint Economic and Trade Committee, to identify and address any issues that may arise. It is now for businesses in India and the UK to exploit the opportunities that the agreement affords.
I would like to thank Members of both Houses for their engagement and scrutiny during the ratification of this agreement.
[HCWS262]
Business and Trade
Chris Bryant Excerpts(2 weeks, 5 days ago)
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Richard Baker
The EU is a key trading partner for Scotland, accounting for almost 40% of Scotland’s international exports. Can the Minister reassure my constituents in Glenrothes and Mid Fife that while we wait for a new date for the EU summit, this Government will press ahead with plans to align with more areas of the single market, so that we can continue to remove barriers for our businesses to trade with Europe?
Chris Bryant
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, not least because in the most recent figures, our trade in goods with Europe has fallen by 2% in the last year, whereas our trade in services has grown by 7%.
[Official Report, 2 July 2026; Vol. 788, c. 1008.]
Written correction submitted by the Minister for Trade, the hon. Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant):
Chris Bryant
My hon. Friend is absolutely right, not least because in the most recent figures, our exports in goods with the EU have fallen by 2% in the last year, whereas our exports in services have grown by 7%...
John Slinger (Rugby) (Lab)
When I visited NDT Equipment Ltd in my constituency, the director Dan Lenton showed me the ultrasonic test calibration blocks and reference pieces that it uses and supplies to manufacturers in a wide range of sectors in the UK and abroad. This steel is not manufactured in the UK; it is imported and is high grade. I know Ministers are being flexible and talking to hon. Members. Will the Minister please consider the grade of steel that the company uses, which I believe is EN3B, and exempt it from the tariffs?
Chris Bryant
We have already laid out our steel trade measures, which are there to ensure that the UK has a steel industry. This is vital for our economic future. I want to make clear that 73% of all steel imports into the UK are not in scope of the measure, but I will, of course, look at this specific issue…
[Official Report, 2 July 2026; Vol. 788, c. 1022.]
Written correction submitted by the Minister for Trade, the hon. Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant):
Chris Bryant
We have already laid out our steel trade measures, which are there to ensure that the UK has a steel industry. This is vital for our economic future. I want to make clear that 74% of all steel imports by value into the UK are not in scope of the measure, but I will, of course, look at this specific issue…
Deepening the UK’s Trade Relationships
Chris Bryant Excerpts(2 weeks, 5 days ago)
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The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
Trade remains central to this Government’s mission to drive sustainable economic growth and to ensure that UK firms can access the opportunities presented by a rapidly evolving global economy.
This Government’s trade strategy places international partnerships at the heart of that ambition. We are focused on strengthening the UK’s position as a base for businesses to connect with global markets, while supporting high-value jobs, boosting investment and reinforcing our economic resilience. A key aspect of this pattern of international trading relationships is our membership of the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership.
Today, I am announcing the launch of a public consultation to inform the next phase of the United Kingdom’s trade relationships with four global partners—Indonesia, the Philippines, the United Arab Emirates and Uruguay—as we explore how the UK should respond to accession talks with certain CPTPP candidate countries.
Parties to the CPTPP, including the UK, established an accession working group with Uruguay in 2025, and on 26 June 2026, CPTPP parties announced the start of preparatory discussions on accession with Indonesia, the Philippines and the UAE: https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2026-06-29/hcws154 Uruguay’s accession working group is now well under way, with meetings scheduled
The Government therefore want to hear views on the opportunities, priorities and considerations associated with deepening the UK’s trading relationships with these economies. CPTPP accession represents the most likely route to deepening trading relationships with the majority of them, but the call for input does not assume a single route and also invites views on other appropriate trade policy mechanisms, including bilateral free trade agreements where applicable and relevant.
This consultation marks an early but important stage in the process of assessing future trade opportunities. The call for input published today provides businesses, civil society, consumers and individuals across the UK with the chance to share their insights and priorities, ensuring that any future negotiations are informed by a strong evidence base and reflect the needs of the UK economy.
The Government will carefully consider all responses alongside further economic and policy analysis. This will inform decisions on the UK’s overall approach to engagement with these partners. The call for input closes on 14 September 2026 and can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/deepening-uk-trade-relationships-with-indonesia-the-philippines-the-united-arab-emirates-and-uruguay
I will keep Parliament closely informed as this work progresses. Further updates will be provided in due course, including ahead of any decision to progress to an accession working group or other negotiations.
[HCWS235]
Trade Negotiations
Chris Bryant Excerpts(2 weeks, 6 days ago)
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The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Swiss Confederation (Switzerland) have concluded negotiations on an enhanced Free Trade Agreement. Building on the existing goods-focused agreement, itself based on the EU-Switzerland agreement signed in 1972, this enhanced deal modernises and deepens the trading relationship with one of our closest economic partners.
The UK is a services superpower, and this agreement is estimated to increase UK services exports to Switzerland by £5.2 billion annually in the long run. It will make it cheaper and easier for businesses and professionals to travel to and supply services in the Swiss market, providing certainty for our trading arrangements with a key European partner for years to come.
Economic growth is the No. 1 mission of this Government and international trade plays a key role in creating opportunities for businesses, supporting jobs and driving investment across the UK. This FTA builds on the agreements we have secured with the United States, the European Union, India, the Gulf Co-operation Council and the Republic of Korea, strengthening the UK’s position as an open, outward-looking trading nation.
Switzerland is the UK’s sixth-largest services export market, with bilateral services trade in 2025 amounting to over £30 billion. The agreement builds on this relationship, helping to support jobs across the UK—including the 171,400 already sustained by exports to Switzerland. Furthermore, Swiss-owned businesses employed around 150,000 people in the UK in 2024 and total bilateral trade reached £53 billion in 2025 and bilateral foreign direct investment stood at £87 billion at the end of 2024.
This is the most significant trade agreement for services concluded by the UK, as it includes the UK’s most ambitious digital chapter and most comprehensive business travel commitments in an FTA, along with high-ambition outcomes across services and investment. It helps reinforce the UK’s position as one of the world’s leading services exporters and will help unlock new opportunities in key industrial strategy sectors including finance, professional services, life sciences, creative industries and digital technologies.
The UK has also secured the most comprehensive digital chapter ever agreed by Switzerland in an FTA. With over 70% of UK-Swiss services trade delivered digitally, the agreement guarantees the free flow of data while maintaining existing privacy protections. It modernises the digital trading environment through commitments on electronic contracts, signatures and invoicing, prevents customs duties on electronic transmissions and has the strongest commitments to prohibit unjustified data localisation requirements.
The FTA delivers long-term business certainty for UK services firms, a key ask from stakeholders throughout the negotiations. The UK and Switzerland have agreed that future improvements to access in certain sectors are locked in. This provides UK firms with a more stable and predictable business environment, which will give them the confidence to plan and invest for the long term. The agreement also permanently secures the rights of UK lawyers to provide advisory services in foreign and international law in Switzerland without requiring requalification.
The agreement complements the wider framework of UK-Swiss co-operation, including the Berne financial services agreement and the UK-Swiss recognition of professional qualifications agreement.
The UK and Switzerland are global leaders in life sciences. The UK’s ambition is to become Europe’s leading life sciences economy by 2030, and the FTA will support this vision. The UK and Switzerland will commit to maintaining existing balanced intellectual property protections for pharmaceuticals. This goes beyond any prior UK or Swiss FTA. The deal will commit the UK to maintaining our existing 10-year period of regulatory data protection, consisting of at least eight years of data exclusivity and 10 years of market exclusivity—sometimes known together as “8+2 years” of regulatory data protection. The FTA will also commit the UK to maintaining up to five years of protection for supplementary protection certificates, with the flexibility to increase the maximum term available. These standards support the discovery and development of new medicines. This does not change UK legislation or practice. It maintains the existing balance between supporting pharmaceutical innovation and the NHS’s access to lower-cost generic medicines.
Switzerland has announced that UK nationals will soon be able to use e-gates at Swiss borders, in line with Schengen requirements. They will be able to exit via e-gates at Zurich airport from as soon as the end of 2026. Switzerland is also working towards allowing entry via e-gates, particularly at Zurich, Geneva and Basel airports, and will set out a timetable shortly.
The enhanced FTA permanently secures the commitments contained in the temporary UK-Swiss services mobility agreement, currently due to expire at the end of 2029. This protects an estimated £700 million in UK services exports annually in the long run. British professionals will continue to be able to provide services in Switzerland for up to 90 days each year without requiring a work permit, while new provisions improve certainty for business visitors, inter-corporate transferees and graduate trainees.
We have also made it easier for UK businesses to access Swiss talent and expertise temporarily in certain specific services sectors. This is for up to three months through a bespoke, visa-free, short-term service supplier route.
Switzerland has also ensured contracts by UK service suppliers in key sectors such as legal, architecture and engineering can be delivered for several months. To encourage inward investment and support UK growth, Switzerland has agreed commitments on investor mobility for the first time in an FTA, facilitating business establishment and expansion for UK and Swiss businesses.
The opportunities from this agreement will be felt across all nations and regions of the United Kingdom. It will support services firms ranging from major financial and professional services employers in London and Leeds to specialist small and medium-sized enterprises in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. This is also the first UK FTA to include specific coverage for Gibraltar from day one by ensuring that Gibraltar’s businesspersons will continue to be able to supply services in Switzerland for up to 90 days a year without a permit.
The UK and Switzerland also intend to include bilateral surcharge-free international mobile roaming arrangements. This would allow UK travellers to use mobile services in Switzerland without incurring additional roaming charges, reducing costs for consumers and businesses alike.
Small and medium-sized enterprises, start-ups and scale-ups will benefit from streamlined administrative requirements, simplified licensing and qualification procedures, digital payment options and new paperless trading arrangements. The deal also provides greater certainty by preventing a range of future restrictions on how UK businesses can operate, grow and manage investments in Switzerland, giving firms the confidence they need to navigate the market.
Finally, the agreement establishes a dedicated innovation working group, bringing together business, academia and Government to identify future opportunities and address emerging challenges. It is designed to evolve alongside new technologies, including artificial intelligence, and changing global conditions, ensuring the bilateral relationship remains future-focused. Alongside its commercial benefits, the agreement strengthens co-operation on climate change, development and gender equality, reflecting our shared commitment to a modern and inclusive partnership.
Alongside services, the agreement preserves tariff-free access across 99% of existing goods trade, ensuring continuity and long-term certainty for UK exporters.
We will now begin the process of preparing the treaty for signature and implementation, and the Department will update the House further in due course.
[HCWS223]
Humble Address: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor
Chris Bryant Excerpts(3 weeks, 3 days ago)
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The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
I have today laid before the House 13 additional documents within the scope of the 24 February 2026 Humble Address seeking all papers relating to the creation of the role of special representative for trade and investment and the appointment of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in 2001.
These documents confirm the arrangements for the appointment set out in the documents provided on 21 May 2026 but also provide some further detail, including confirmation that the British Trade International board was informed and Ministers were briefed on his preparation for the role, and details of his induction programme.
The 13 documents include:
extracts from BTI board papers;
further documents about the role, job title, and an update note for the responsible Minister.
plans for his induction programme and transition to the new role; and
press releases and media handling discussion.
The Government have now concluded all reasonable searches for material requested by Parliament. The focus of our work is now on supporting Thames Valley police with their investigation into possible misconduct in public office. If, in the course of this or other work, the Government find additional documents in scope of the Humble Address, these will be provided to Parliament in line with the established process.
I am conscious that the Business and Trade Committee is considering inquiring into the Government’s management of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor between 2001 and 2011. I am due to discuss with the Committee how we can best support it while avoiding prejudicing the police investigation.
[HCWS207]
Science, innovation and technology Committee
Chris Bryant Excerpts(3 weeks, 3 days ago)
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Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)
I thank my hon. Friend for the report, and for all the hard work her Committee has put into it. I was very interested in the section about space. Does she share my pleasure in the announcement today that the SaxaVord space station is likely to have a launch of a rocket within the next three weeks?
The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
I think it is brilliant. SaxaVord got some investment from the UK Government.
Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow West) (Lab)
In addition to acknowledging the investment from the UK Government, may I ask whether my hon. Friend’s Committee agrees with the recommendation of the Scottish Affairs Committee, which I chair, that we should have a Minister for space in Government? That is because we recognise the cross-cutting nature of many of the issues that face companies that want to be involved in space, and the very many jurisdictions with which they have to negotiate. I think of maritime agencies, as well as Government Departments, local jurisdictions and planning. It would be helpful to have an indication of her view.
Israeli Settlements: Trade Ban
Chris Bryant Excerpts(3 weeks, 3 days ago)
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Kit Malthouse
Strangely enough, I agree with the hon. Gentleman. This is probably the first time in our political careers that we have agreed. He puts his finger on the point that I am trying to make. This dispute involves our own security. We do not have to be pro-Palestine or pro-Israel to take that view, just pro-British, which everybody in this House should be, first and foremost. That involves being pro-international law, pro-peace and pro-justice; the dispute goes to the heart of that. He put his finger on the point that I was coming to. Nobody is buying the idea that the argument is practical, Minister.
Kit Malthouse
I know, but I ask the Minister not to patronise us all by standing up at the end of the debate and pretending that this is all too complicated, which I am afraid is what his ministerial colleagues have said to us before.
We know that the argument against a ban is not a legal one; that has been proven time and again. Indeed, we have supported resolutions at the UN and used our position on the Security Council to say that it is not a legal issue. I am left with the only other option, which is that the decision must be political with a capital “P”. I am afraid that is the most appalling thing to contemplate. Either we fear consequences from other countries, such as the United States or whoever it might be, or we believe it is in our national interest to recognise that Palestinian self-determination and Palestinian lives are disposable in the face of that political decision.
Even worse, it may be that we just do not care. It may be that at the higher echelons of political command, whether it is in No. 10 or the Foreign Office, they really just do not care. They think, “If we squint a bit, make some statements from the Front Bench and have a couple of sanctions here and there, in the end, the caravan will move on, and nobody will care.” I am afraid that until Ministers realise that this is not some kind of complicated chess game across the world, but a matter of our security, our interests and our morality, we will not make any progress.
The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
First, I congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Central (Abtisam Mohamed), who has raised many of these issues not just today, but on other days. It is important that we are having this debate.
I hope that hon. Members do not mind, but I will not go through each individual Member’s contribution; I will just try to answer the single voice—well, the nearly single voice—that I have heard in the Chamber today. I will try to do so in the most straightforward and up-front way possible.
The hon. Member for Blackburn (Mr Hussain) said that we should not avoid the elephant in the room—the humanitarian situation in Gaza. He is absolutely right. It is appalling, disgraceful and despicable. There are so many starving; so many thirsty for clean drinking water; so many lacking shelter and shade; so many lacking daily medicine and emergency care; so many children without teachers, without parents, without brothers and sisters or uncles and aunts, and without friends to join in the playground; so many orphans; so many homeless; so many injured; so many disabled; so many frightened and angry; so many grieving; so many dead. It does shame us all. The Israeli Government must immediately allow all humanitarian aid in so that the people of Gaza can breathe and live. The ceasefire must be abided by.
The settlements are morally wrong, legally indefensible and completely counterproductive when it comes to achieving a two-state solution—many hon. Members have said that that may be the deliberate intention of some—or for that matter, I would argue, when it comes to achieving an Israel that is safe and secure within its borders.
Andy Slaughter (Hammersmith and Chiswick) (Lab)
Will the Minister give way?
Chris Bryant
I will in a moment.
The violence is criminal too. We are grossly alarmed at the expansion, including the proposed E1 settlement bloc, and at the Israeli’s Government’s legislative changes to entrench Government control.
I know that not everything we have done has pleased everybody, and that we have not gone as far as many would like, but it is important to say that we have taken action. We have recognised Palestinian statehood, although I note that some people do not support that. We have stopped negotiations on a free trade agreement, although I know that some people do not support that, as we have just heard. We have strengthened the enforcement of tariff differentials between green-line Israel and the illegal settlements, but to be honest, I do not think it is as effective as we would like it to be. That is one of the significant problems both for what we are doing now and for what we might want to do in the future.
We have also suspended and blocked military and dual-use licences for equipment that could be used, or is being used, in humanitarian abuse in Gaza. We have sanctioned individuals and organisations linked to the settler movement. We have recently pushed the Charity Commission to look into UK charities that are linked to activities in the illegal settlements.
Let me be absolutely clear: of course we support Israel’s right to exist. I do not think that any hon. Member who has taken part in the debate, certainly not on the Government side of the House, is anti-Israel, as the hon. Member for Grantham and Bourne (Gareth Davies) suggested. It is perfectly legitimate to criticise the activities of the Israeli Government without wanting to undermine the existence of the Israeli state. That is a really important distinction to make.
The hon. Gentleman is right, however, that many UK businesses are engaged in perfectly legitimate trade in green-line Israel, which is a powerhouse in many sectors including high tech, pharmaceuticals and so on. I pay tribute to those who have established strong economic relations between Israel and the UK, and, for that matter, between Palestine and the UK—I would like to strengthen that latter connection more. I would like to name UK companies that engage in trade in medicines, food and beverages, and financial services completely legitimately, and in a way that will be supported by everybody in this Chamber, in green-line Israel. Frankly, however, I will not do so for fear of reprisals against those companies, and that in itself tells a tale about the toxicity of this debate.
As I have said, the settlements are illegal. There is therefore a legal obligation on us as a Government not to aid or assist the occupation. The immediate corollary of that is that we need to stop UK businesses providing economic support and legitimacy to illegal settlements. Of course, we want to design measures to stop trade with settlements in a way that balances that with enabling British businesses and citizens to benefit from a strong trading relationship with Israel and with Palestine. That is one of the tricks we have to pull off.
There are four key things that we could do and are seriously considering. First, we could ban imports to the UK of goods from the illegal settlements. I think all UK consumers would want us to do this effectively, and lots of supermarkets and other chains have been looking to do it in their own way. The challenge is—and this is not an excuse, to respond to the question from the right hon. Member for North West Hampshire (Kit Malthouse); it is just a fact—that there is no properly verifiable means of determining the real source. [Interruption.] No, if the right hon. Gentleman will allow me to make the argument, he can criticise me afterwards if he wants to. This situation is very different from Ukraine, because in Ukraine there is a verifiable process to determine whether something is from occupied Crimea or from Ukraine. That is a significant difference. This is not an insurmountable difficulty, but it is a challenge.
Andy McDonald
If that is a problem and we want to implement the ban, the issue of distinguishing the goods is Israel’s problem; it should not be ours. We should not be held over a barrel by being told that distinguishing goods is a problem for us. It is Israel’s problem to distinguish which goods to prevent, and we should ban those goods in totality.
Chris Bryant
My hon. Friend makes a perfectly legitimate point, but the danger is that, if we end up banning all trade with Israel, we fall foul of the other problems I have mentioned.
Chris Bryant
If my hon. Friend does not mind, I will make a little bit more progress, and then I will give way.
The second thing we could do and are seriously considering is banning exports of UK goods to the illegal settlements. Members have talked, for instance, of banning the sale of UK machinery. The hon. Member for Witney (Charlie Maynard), who speaks for the Liberal Democrats, referred to one particular company. Here, too, the challenge is that goods move in and out very freely between the illegal settlements and green-line Israel, and that poses a challenge for us. It is not insurmountable, but it is a challenge.
Andy Slaughter
I really do appreciate the steps the Government have taken. I particularly appreciate the recognition of the state of Palestine, because the embassy is in my constituency, and I was very proud to be there to see the flag raised. I want the Minister to be part of the almost total consensus here today, but that does mean being unambiguous. The problem with saying, “There are these problems,” or, “We can advise and encourage companies, but we cannot force them,” is that it is saying it is a bit legal or a bit illegal. We want a decisive view on this: we want settlement goods to be banned.
Chris Bryant
I think my hon. Friend must have misheard, or maybe I misspoke in some way, because I am saying very clearly that there are four things we could do and are seriously considering doing. The important thing is that, where there are challenges, we need to overcome them. It is not that they become an excuse for inaction.
Chris Bryant
I will just go through the third and fourth points, because they are important.
The third thing we could do and are seriously considering is banning exports of UK services to the illegal settlements. To my mind, it must be completely wrong for a UK business to enable the construction of a block of flats or a road, for instance, in the settlements, by providing finance, insurance, architectural services, logistical support or, as has been referred to in the debate, selling properties in the illegal settlements. All of that is a perfectly legitimate area where we should consider banning exports of UK services to the settlements. Likewise, the fourth area we are considering taking action on is banning imports to the UK of services from the settlements.
Chris Bryant
Just one more moment, and I then I think my hon. Friend the Member for East Thanet (Ms Billington) would like to intervene first.
Members are absolutely right that other countries are either considering or are in the process of introducing a variety of different bans. As the Middle East Minister, my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Mr Falconer), has said, we have had conversations with some of them. Some are expressing concerns about whether what they are going to do will actually be effective. Sometimes I am all for declaratory legislation, but I am much more in favour of doing things that actually take effect. That is one of the key considerations for us.
Let me be absolutely clear: I do not think that any of the legal or logistical problems is insurmountable. We are actively considering what a trade ban that directly targets illegal settlements would look like.
Chris Murray
What does “actively considering” mean? Is there anything active about it? Can the Minister refer to meetings, instructions or deadlines that would manifest as active consideration?
Chris Bryant
The right hon. Gentleman asks, from a sedentary position, by when? I think my timeline may be rather limited in this post, but as Tagore said:
“The one who plants trees, knowing that he will never sit in their shade, has at least started to understand the meaning of life.”
I have been trying to progress some of this work. We have not got to a place where we are able to announce anything yet, but that is why I am saying we are actively considering it.
Chris Bryant
If my hon. Friend does not mind, I do want to leave some time for my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Central.
I just have a couple more points to make. Any measures must be enforceable, effective and not have unintended consequences on our legitimate trade, for instance in medicines, with green-line Israel. The worst of all possible outcomes would be measures that are morally declaratory but ineffective or ineffectual, and that are not capable of being implemented.
There are several routes we could go down. Members have mentioned the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018. There was a set of suggestions, not all that different from some of the ideas that have come up to us already, from the hon. Gentleman who speaks for the Liberal Democrats. That is an option available to us, but there are other routes we might want to explore.
I really wish that I were able to say more today, but it really is not words that are needed. I fully understand and have heard very clearly, as have the whole of the Government, that it is action that is needed. I am tempted to give way to my hon. Friend the Member for Warwick and Leamington (Matt Western) because he is very keen, but he will have to be very quick.
Matt Western
I thank my hon. Friend, while he is still in post. Very briefly, he will be aware of the mockery that is the situation with dual-use goods between Israel and the Palestinian territories. Surely we can have some sort of ban on the products we are supplying that are essentially enabling civilisational erasure in Palestine?
Chris Bryant
I will write to my hon. Friend in answer to that point, as I am very keen to let my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield Central speak.
As I said, it is not words that are needed on this issue, but actions. I very much hope those might be imminent.
Business and Trade
Chris Bryant Excerpts(3 weeks, 3 days ago)
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Sureena Brackenridge (Wolverhampton North East) (Lab)
Tata Steel’s Steelpark in Wednesfield and manufacturers across Wolverhampton North East and the Black Country rely on resilient supply chains for steel. Will the Minister set out how today’s statement on increased quotas and steel under contract before 14 March will continue to back British-made steel production while giving downstream manufacturers the competitive certainty and confidence that they need?
Chris Bryant
My hon. Friend is right to defend her constituents’ interests. We have tried to meet the precise concerns that she raises. I would be happy to go through with her on Monday afternoon each of the different categories of steel that might be applicable to her area. Some people have given the impression that we are cutting all categories of steel and that nobody will be able to bring in categories of steel without being tariffed. Actually, the quotas in most areas allow for historical levels of imports, and in others areas where we produce in the UK we are trying to persuade people to buy and use British steel.
[Official Report, 25 June 2026; Vol. 788, c. 537.]
Written correction submitted by the Minister for Trade, the hon. Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant):
Chris Bryant
My hon. Friend is right to defend her constituents’ interests. We have tried to meet the precise concerns that she raises. I would be happy to go through with her on Monday afternoon each of the different categories of steel that might be applicable to her area. Some people have given the impression that we are cutting all categories of steel and that nobody will be able to bring in categories of steel without being tariffed. Actually, the quotas in several important categories allow for historical levels of imports, and in others areas where we produce in the UK we are trying to persuade people to buy and use British steel.
Enhanced Free Trade Agreement: Turkey
Chris Bryant Excerpts(3 weeks, 4 days ago)
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The Minister for Trade (Chris Bryant)
The fifth round of negotiations on an enhanced free trade agreement with Turkey took place in Ankara between 15 and 23 June 2026.
Economic growth is our first mission in Government, and free trade agreements have an important role to play in achieving it. A stronger trade relationship with Turkey can support jobs and prosperity in the UK, with trade between the two totalling £28.4 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q4 2025—an increase of 4.3% from the previous year.
To support this round of negotiations, I travelled to Turkey to meet with the Minister of Trade, Professor Dr Ömer Bolat, and Deputy Minister of Trade, Mustafa Tuzcu.
Negotiations were constructive, with positive progress being made in a number of areas.
Trade in services
Productive discussions were held across a range of technical areas, including digital trade, domestic regulation and telecommunications. The investment session saw valuable exchanges, reflecting the shared ambition and good will between both sides. Particularly strong progress was made in legal services, among other areas. Across sessions, negotiators engaged in detailed text-based discussions, testing areas of alignment, exploring respective levels of ambition, and identifying outstanding issues. Both sides continued to engage productively, building on progress made in previous rounds.
Trade in goods
Negotiations covered a range of market access and regulatory issues, including goods market access and sanitary and phytosanitary measures, along with others. Discussions focused on reviewing respective proposals, testing areas of alignment, and identifying remaining gaps, while maintaining and upholding the UK’s high standards. Both sides reached agreement on modalities for market access offers. These sessions were positive and productive with both sides seeking a high ambition outcome to support businesses and drive progress forward.
Additional areas
Wider cross-cutting discussions covered intellectual property, Government procurement, trade remedies, environment, state-owned enterprises, among others, with intellectual property discussions in particular picking up pace—signalling a growing shared focus on this area. Key themes included strengthening protection and enforcement of intellectual property, as well as environmental co-operation and sustainability.
Concluded chapters
After five rounds of negotiations negotiating, teams have closed 11 chapters, along with agreement on multiple annexes and associated issues. They have made substantial progress towards an agreement that will strengthen bilateral trade and create the enabling environment that can increase UK exports to Turkey, supporting jobs across UK nations and regions.
The UK will only ever sign a trade agreement that aligns with the UK’s national interests, upholding our high standards across a range of sectors.
The sixth round of negotiations is expected to take place in the autumn. Ministers will update Parliament on the progress of discussions with Turkey as negotiations continue.
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Business and Trade
Chris Bryant Excerpts(3 weeks, 5 days ago)
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Chris Bryant
Since we announced our measure in March, we have engaged intensively with the European Union and UK industry. We have reached a mutual outcome with the EU as a result of those discussions. On our side, we will increase the EU’s quota access from the announced 1.58 million tonnes to 2.08 million tonnes, and the EU will announce quotas under its own measure shortly.
[Official Report, 25 June 2026; Vol. 788, c. 533.]
Written correction submitted by the Minister for Trade, the hon. Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant):
Chris Bryant
Since we announced our measure in March, we have engaged intensively with the European Union and UK industry. We have reached a mutual outcome with the EU as a result of those discussions. On our side, we will increase the EU’s quota access from the announced 1.63 million tonnes to 2.08 million tonnes, and the EU will announce quotas under its own measure shortly.
Lisa Smart
The quota increase and product code removals are positive steps, so I have just three questions. First, categories 14 and 27 cover specialist steels required by aerospace, defence, Formula 1 and precision engineering, which cannot be sourced domestically in the required grades and volumes. Do those categories fall within the 11 product codes that have been removed from the arrangements?
Chris Bryant
I think the hon. Lady was confusing product codes and categories. If I start with 17, we have increased the quota by a significant amount. I hope that that will reflect the lack of production at the moment, which several Members have already raised with me. We have done that specifically to answer those questions. We have done likewise in category 14, stainless bars and light sections.
[Official Report, 25 June 2026; Vol. 788, c. 537.]
Written correction submitted by the Minister for Trade, the hon. Member for Rhondda and Ogmore (Chris Bryant):
Chris Bryant
I think the hon. Lady was confusing product codes and categories. If I start with 27, we have increased the quota by a significant amount. I hope that that will reflect the lack of production at the moment, which several Members have already raised with me. We have done that specifically to answer those questions. We have done likewise in category 14, stainless bars and light sections.