Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what recent engagement he has had with his Canadian counterpart about the potential merits of increasing trade between the United Kingdom and Canada.

I am in regular contact with Minister Sidhu as we seek ways to grow bilateral trade – worth £31bn in the 12 months to September 2025 and up 17% on the previous 12 months .

Last year, the UK-Canada Economic and Trade Working Group identified a number of priority bilateral workstreams for 2026 to further grow trade and drive cooperation, including the review of the UK-Canada Trade Continuity Agreement’s Rules of Origin to make the agreement easier to use by businesses on both sides.

My Department is also committed to the UK trading with Canada under CPTPP terms. Canada has commenced its legislative process for the UK’s ratification, with Entry into Force expected later this year.