Japan Free Trade Agreement

Tobias Ellwood Excerpts
Monday 14th September 2020

(4 years, 1 month ago)

Commons Chamber
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Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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I have recently visited Hitachi and Nissan, both of which are pleased with the progress we have made in the Japan deal. Of course, like all of us, they want a deal with the EU, but it has to be the right deal for Britain. My lesson, as Trade Secretary, is that we have to be prepared to hold out for the right deal.

Tobias Ellwood Portrait Mr Tobias Ellwood (Bournemouth East) (Con)
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May I join others in congratulating my right hon. Friend on securing such an important deal? I hope she goes on to secure future deals for Britain. May I also encourage her to ensure that this new opportunity is considered in the integrated review, because our economic security and our national security go hand in hand?

Elizabeth Truss Portrait Elizabeth Truss
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My right hon. Friend is right on that, and one important aspect of this deal and our relationship with Japan is that it is a leading free enterprise democracy. We need to be working with like-minded countries, not only to protect free trade across the world, but to make sure trade is fair. That is one of the huge benefits of joining CPTPP: it is a high standards trade agreement of countries that believe in free trade.