Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support UK companies to make trade agreements with individual US states; and if she will make a statement.

The UK is strengthening trade ties with US states, including through Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs). We have signed MoUs with Indiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina – which, collectively, imported UK goods worth £4.2bn in 2022. We are engaging with further states – including Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, and California.

We are using MoUs to catalyse opportunities for UK businesses, such as helping them to access state government procurement markets.

We are also seeking to reduce state-level trade barriers, including by supporting recognition of professional qualifications – and were proud to host signature of the Architects’ Registration Board’s mutual recognition agreement with their US counterpart.