Question to the Department for Business and Trade:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of UK trade policy on (a) levels of UK-Caribbean economic engagement and (b) Chinese influence in that region.

The UK’s Economic Partnership Agreement with CARIFORUM, which is the most comprehensive trade agreement that the UK has signed with developing countries, supports growth across the region and in the UK. Between 2023 and 2024, UK-CARIFORUM bilateral trade in goods and services increased by 20.5% in current prices. The UK and CARIFORUM regularly discuss how to strengthen bilateral trade further through the structures outlined in our agreement.

The UK will continue to position itself as the trading partner of choice in the Caribbean, building on our historic, economic and cultural ties.