Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential effect on the retail supply chain for (a) food and (b) flowers in the event that a continuity trade deal is not agreed with (i) Ghana and (ii) Kenya by 31 December 2020; and if she will make a statement.

The government is working with partner governments to secure continuity trade agreements. If the relevant EU-partner country trading arrangement has not yet been transitioned into a UK-partner country trade agreement, low and lower-middle income countries will be able to get trade preferences through the UK Generalised Scheme of Preferences from 31 December 2020.

Under the General Framework of the UK Generalised Scheme of Preferences, Ghana and Kenya are eligible to receive preferential access on some product lines.

Under the Enhance Framework of the UK Generalised Scheme of Preferences, further tariff reductions are available to countries that are considered economically vulnerable and low level of integration with the international systems. These countries are required to ratify and effectively implement 27 international conventions on human and labour rights, environmental protection and good governance.