Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential response from the EU on the Government's plan to maintain zero tariffs on (a) eggs, (b) cereals, (c) fruit and (d) vegetables imported into the UK in the event that the UK leaves the EU without an agreement.

Many UK agri-food products would face substantial tariffs on exports to the EU in a no deal scenario. Consistent with WTO rules, the EU must apply tariffs equally to imports from all countries where there is no trade agreement or any other preferential arrangement in place. In the event of no deal, this includes the UK. There has been no indication that the EU would modify their tariff policy as a result of our exit or following the publication of the UK’s ‘Most Favoured Nation’ schedule, the temporary tariff.

However, the Government’s intention in setting the temporary tariff has been to balance producer and consumer impacts in a way that is broadly neutral in its impact on agri-food production and consumption patterns.