Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of increased access to CPTPP markets on UK food and drink exports.

CPTPP membership gives UK food and drink exporters access to a trading bloc with a combined GDP of around £13 trillion. Over 99% of UK exports to CPTPP members will be eligible for tariff-free trade. For example, the UK dairy sector will benefit from lower tariffs in Canada, Chile, Japan and Mexico, while whisky and chocolate exporters will benefit from reduced tariffs in Malaysia and Mexico. As a living agreement, CPTPP's continued expansion could create further opportunities for UK exporters.