Question to the Department for International Trade:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to allow provisional application of the UK-SACU Economic Partnership Agreement if the parties to that Agreement have not ratified it in time for it to come into force on 1 January 2021.

As of 4^th August 2020, Botswana and South Africa have completed their domestic ratification procedures. Britain completed her own domestic scrutiny procedures, in accordance with the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act, on 5^th February 2020. We continue to monitor progress closely in the remaining countries.

Our preference is that all our Southern Africa Customs Union + Mozambique Economic Partnership Agreement partners ratify the agreement, so that it can enter into force at the end of the transition period. Nevertheless, we will consider all possible options to maintain continuity, including provisional application, if not every partner is able to ratify the agreement before the end of the transition period.