Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps her Department have taken to increase the volume of trade between the UK and the Southern Africa Customs Union and Mozambique trade bloc.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Following extensive engagement, my Department has secured trade deals with Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Tunisia; plus the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) trade bloc; and the Southern Africa Custom Union and Mozambique (SACU+M).
Rwanda and The Gambia currently benefit from the our Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), which provides Least Developed Countries with duty-free and quota-free access on all imports except arms and ammunition to the British market. HM Government intends to improve the scheme in order to grow trade with developing countries, supporting economic growth and jobs across the globe and at home. In coming weeks, we will hold a public consultation, to give exporters, businesses and other interested parties the opportunity to provide feedback.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps her Department has taken to help increase the volume of trade between the UK and Jordan.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom and Jordan have a long-standing trade relationship, with current bilateral trade reaching £606 million in 2020. My Department has secured an Association Agreement, which contributes to increasing trade by reducing tariff barriers and identifying trade opportunities for both British and Jordanian businesses.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps her Department has taken to increase the volume of trade between the UK and Lebanon.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom and Lebanon have a long-standing trade relationship, with current bilateral trade reaching £560 million in 2020. An Association Agreement between us came into force on 1st January 2021 and contributes to increasing trade by reducing tariff barriers and identifying trade opportunities for both British and Lebanese businesses.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps her Department has taken to help increase the volume of trade between the UK and Kosovo.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Bilateral trade with Albania and Kosovo was worth £55 million and £15 million respectively in 2020. The Department for International Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have worked closely with Albania and Kosovo. We have negotiated and brought into effect comprehensive Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreements with both Albania and Kosovo.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps her Department has taken to help increase the volume of trade between the UK and Albania.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Bilateral trade with Albania and Kosovo was worth £55 million and £15 million respectively in 2020. The Department for International Trade and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have worked closely with Albania and Kosovo. We have negotiated and brought into effect comprehensive Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreements with both Albania and Kosovo.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of securing a bilateral trade agreement with Republic of Maldives.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom has set an ambitious programme of work through our independent trade policy. British bilateral trade with the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan respectively sits at £144m, £93m and £2m currently.
HM Government has set out that the Indo-Pacific is a priority, which includes the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan. We are keen to boost bilateral trade in the region and are currently exploring options to deliver on this.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of securing a bilateral trade agreement with Bhutan.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom has set an ambitious programme of work through our independent trade policy. British bilateral trade with the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan respectively sits at £144m, £93m and £2m currently.
HM Government has set out that the Indo-Pacific is a priority, which includes the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan. We are keen to boost bilateral trade in the region and are currently exploring options to deliver on this.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of securing a bilateral trade agreement with Nepal.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
The United Kingdom has set an ambitious programme of work through our independent trade policy. British bilateral trade with the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan respectively sits at £144m, £93m and £2m currently.
HM Government has set out that the Indo-Pacific is a priority, which includes the Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan. We are keen to boost bilateral trade in the region and are currently exploring options to deliver on this.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of securing a bilateral trade agreement with Kuwait.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Britain has strong bilateral trading relationships with our friends in the Gulf and a clear ambition to deepen them. The Gulf is already one of our largest export destinations, with trade of over £30 billion in 2020, but there are many sectors in which we can collaborate further.
We are currently conducting a Joint Trade and Investment Review with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Upon completion of the review shortly, we will look to deliver on its recommendations, as we continue to broaden and deepen our trade and investment relationships with countries in the Gulf.
Asked by: Imran Ahmad Khan (Independent - Wakefield)
Question to the Department for International Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps her Department has taken to help increase the quantity of trade between the UK and the CARIFORUM trade bloc.
Answered by Ranil Jayawardena
Trade with CARIFORUM states was worth £2.6bn in 2020. The United Kingdom-CARIFORUM Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) successfully came into effect on 1st January 2021 and provides certainty and continuity for business.
The tenth United Kingdom-Caribbean Ministerial Forum took place in March, where we agreed to further promoting and expanding bilateral trade flows and reducing market access barriers for exporters.