Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government when they last met the Director of the Confederation of British Industry to discuss the impact on businesses of changes to export and import arrangements which will be required following the end of the transition period in December.

The Department for International Trade (DIT) engages regularly with the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) on a range of trade issues, including arrangements for business in the post-transition period. Along with other cross-cutting business representative groups CBI senior leaders have met with DIT Ministers to discuss business trade priorities since the creation of the Department in 2016. CBI is a member of DIT’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group (STAG) and the Export Trade Advisory Groups (ETAG) for customs, investment and trade for development; CBI is also an established partner and supporter of DIT’s Exporting is GREAT campaign

On 6 April, my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade had a call with CBI’s Director General, Carolyn Fairbairn, in which they discussed DIT’s key priorities as an independent trading nation. These included the UK Global Tariff, preparations for Free Trade Agreements, the Trade Remedies Authority and looking at the future of trade post-C19 and the future of supply chains. The latter covered DIT’s export and investment strategies which will support UK exporters and provide stimulus to UK business and trade.