Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

International Trade: Covid-19

Thursday 3 September 2020 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 3 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Department is taking steps to help international trade recover from the covid-19 pandemic by negotiating free trade agreements with the United States, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia.
  • The Minister agrees that escalating trade tensions would be harmful and emphasizes the UK's commitment to free trade and reducing barriers through international agreements.
  • Concerns were raised about the potential sale of Arm, a tech giant based in Cambridge, to an American manufacturer during the covid crisis, highlighting the need to maintain a business-friendly and secure environment in the UK.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Felicity Buchan Con Nottingham East
Business & Trade
Context

The hon. Member asked about steps taken by the Department for International Trade to help international trade recover from the impact of the coronavirus.

Question

What steps is her Department taking to help international trade recover from the covid-19 pandemic?

Answer from Ranil Jayawardena (Minister of State, Department for International Trade)

My hon. Friend makes an important point. Covid has threatened global trade and exacerbated protectionism. Our ambitious free trade agreements—with the United States, Japan, New Zealand and Australia—will not only help Britain bounce back by boosting trade but secure greater choice for consumers here by opening up and liberalising international markets. For example, increasing transatlantic trade could add £3.4 billion to the British economy; and the value of our exports to our friends down under could increase by around £1 billion through the deals we are striving for.

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Q2 Felicity Buchan Con Nottingham East
Business & Trade
Context

The hon. Member asked about the Government's position on trade tensions and its commitment to avoid escalating these issues.

Question

We have seen increasing trade tensions over the course of the last year. Does my hon. Friend agree that we need to avoid an escalation of trade tensions?

Answer from Ranil Jayawardena (Minister of State, Department for International Trade)

My hon. Friend is right. There are no winners in a trade war. We will continue to shine as a beacon for free trade in the world, illuminating and toppling trade barriers through free trade agreements, boosting British influence at the G7, the G20 and the World Trade Organisation, and keeping free and fair trade at the heart of all that we do.

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Q3 Daniel Zeichner Lab Cambridge
Business & Trade
Context

The hon. Member raised concerns about a tech company, Arm, facing threats from an aggressive American manufacturer during the pandemic and asked for details on Government discussions to protect this company.

Question

One of our great trade and export success stories in the tech sector is Cambridge-based Arm, the tech giant that designs the chip that goes into almost every mobile phone in the world. During the covid crisis, it has been subject to the threat of sale to an aggressive American manufacturer. What is the Government's response? What discussions is the Minister having with colleagues to ensure that this jewel in our tech crown is not dismembered?

Answer from Ranil Jayawardena (Minister of State, Department for International Trade)

Arm is a very successful business, and I have regular conversations with colleagues in a number of Departments. The most important thing is that we ensure the environment in the UK is one in which all sorts of businesses want to work and, of course, that we preserve our national security.

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