Nigel Huddleston: The Government sees huge potential to grow trade with US states by promoting UK business, tackling barriers, and attracting investment. Building on Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) concluded last year with Indiana, North Carolina, and South Carolina, the Government is actively engaging with further states, including Oklahoma, Utah, Texas, and California. Signature is just the start. Using...
Nigel Huddleston: A total of 258 and 164 applications have been submitted to the UK Tradeshow Programme, seeking support to either exhibit at, or attend, overseas trade shows respectively. Forecasted spend for 2022-23 is £228k for exhibitor support and £53k for support to attendees. In addition, there is a further £16k of spend on Export Academy training across both elements of the programme.
Nigel Huddleston: Due to travel restrictions arising from Covid 19 and FCDO’s strict advice not to travel due to the ongoing war, the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Ukraine has been unable to visit since being appointed. However, the Department for International Trade, now known as the Department for Business and Trade, has delivered trade sanctions to help cripple Putin’s war machine, agreed a...
Nigel Huddleston: The question answered on 27 January, UIN: 126639, made reference to both diversity and diaspora, and the response from my Hon. Friend for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine, the former Parliamentary-Under Secretary of State for Exports, highlighted our department’s commitment to diversity, however, we do not hold data on the involvement of diverse diaspora in trade delegations.
Nigel Huddleston: We are supporting businesses in all parts of the United Kingdom through our export support service, including our innovative Export Academy, which helps build market export capability among small and medium-sized enterprises across the UK. We have also established trade and investment offices in Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast, increasing the visibility of the Department’s services in the...
Nigel Huddleston: I am sorry that the hon. Gentleman is saying this is nonsense. I am sure that those businesses in his constituency and across Scotland who get support from the Department do not share that attitude. As well as focusing on the EU, which is and will continue to be an important trading partner of the UK, we are looking to the entire world, hence focusing on so many other countries. I hope he...
Nigel Huddleston: My right hon. Friend makes an important point. Such measures could have a considerable negative impact on so many Scottish businesses. That is precisely why we are seeking opportunities to support them, for example with trade deals, and trying to ensure that we reduce tariffs and are able to export more overseas. While we are backing our businesses right across the UK, I hope that in future...
Nigel Huddleston: The hon. Gentleman will be well aware that, as we recover from a global pandemic, certain sectors and certain industries are suffering more than others. That is precisely why we have an export strategy and why the Secretary of State has articulated a five-point strategy for growth. We will continue to work positively with all sectors to grow our export opportunities. UK exports to the EU for...
Nigel Huddleston: I know the hon. Member and some people are tempted to continue to fight the battles of the past, but this Government will be laser-focused on the future and future opportunities. We have the comprehensive and progressive agreement for trans-Pacific partnership and so many other opportunities around the world, and I think it would be good for all of us in this place to talk the British economy...
Nigel Huddleston: We are taking tangible steps to improve our trade relationship with our largest bilateral trading partner, the United States. We have already signed state-level memorandums of understanding with Indiana, and North and South Carolina, which we are using to address barriers and promote British business in priority areas such as procurement, renewable energy, automotive, and life sciences....
Nigel Huddleston: My hon. Friend is absolutely right to highlight the importance of the digital economy. We very much see digital trade as an excellent area to focus on, deepening ties between the US and the UK. As part of that, we are keen to explore where we might be able to facilitate co-operation and promote digital trade with the US at state level. Further, the US-UK trade dialogues in Baltimore and...
Nigel Huddleston: Again, I am somewhat disappointed that the Opposition are talking down the opportunities we have. These MOUs seek to bolster the already strong trading relationships with US states, which, as I said, are worth £3.3 billion of UK goods. As we move through and implement the MOUs—we have good faith and goodwill with the people we have been negotiating with—we will inevitably increase our...
Nigel Huddleston: We are fighting for opportunities right across the UK. As I said, the US is a really important trading partner. With the MOUs, we are seeking further opportunities, but we are also working on removing trade barriers and inhibitions to trade. For example, since leaving the EU, we have secured major trade deals with the US, reinstating beef and lamb imports and ending damaging steel and...
Nigel Huddleston: Europe remains a vital destination for British businesses, with exports of over £386 billion in the year to September 2022. That is up almost 25%, in current prices, on the previous year. As we speak, the Secretary of State is in Rome to establish the UK-Italy export and investment promotion dialogue, which will help to strengthen practical co-operation on exports in high-performing sectors...
Nigel Huddleston: As I said earlier, I hope that we can look at the opportunities of leaving the EU as well as trying to fight past battles. There are a host of opportunities; for example, I do not think that the EU had a particularly proud record on services around the globe. We are opening up services for many companies, which under the EU we were to a very large degree constrained in doing. We have huge...
Nigel Huddleston: My right hon. Friend makes a perfectly good point. Our agreement with the EU is one of the most thorough and comprehensive trade agreements, but we need to work further. We are constantly looking at opportunities—country by country, industry subsector by subsector—to open up more trade by reducing the barriers. These are barriers that also existed when we were in the EU.
Nigel Huddleston: Again, all I have to say is that I have much greater confidence in British industries taking advantage of opportunities, not only in the EU but around the world. I wish others in this Chamber shared that optimism and confidence in British business.
Nigel Huddleston: The countries of the Commonwealth are important trading partners. Our total trading relationship was worth more than £146 billion in the 12 months to September 2022, which is why my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has already appointed trade envoys to 15 Commonwealth nations. We have trade agreements with 33 Commonwealth members, and five of the 11 members of the comprehensive and...
Nigel Huddleston: Yes, I am afraid that those jobs are at the discretion of the Prime Minister. I hear what my hon. Friend is saying. We already have extensive coverage through the existing network, but we review the network regularly because we are committed to working with our allies in the Commonwealth to remove the barriers to trade and strengthen trading relationships to foster economic growth. Growing...
Nigel Huddleston: We recognise that the US is not currently focused on FTAs. However, we stand ready to resume negotiations when they are ready. In the meantime, we are working to improve the trading landscape, including by removing US steel and aluminium tariffs and lifting the US ban on British lamb and beef. We are also working with the US on areas of shared interest that include digital trade, small and...