Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 2 February 2021 to Question 144971, whether an Economic Partnership Agreement with Cameroon had been formally signed prior to the Memorandum of Understanding taking effect from 1 January 2021.

I refer my Right Hon. Friend for Islington South and Finsbury to the answer I gave on 2 February 2021, UIN:144971. In this case, negotiations with Cameroon were not concluded until 24 December. In order to prevent trade disruption and fulfil our trade continuity objective, we secured a temporary bridging mechanism with Cameroon to continue the effects of our trading arrangements for the time needed until both parties can sign and fully ratify the Agreement.

We are working to conclude this process as quickly as possible. The text of the agreement will be laid in Parliament under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act (CRaG) and the corresponding Memorandum of Understanding published on GOV.UK once the formal process of signing the Agreement is complete.