Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Free Trade Agreement: Canada

Thursday 19 November 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 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • We are determined to reach a free trade deal with Canada before the end of the year.
  • The current negotiations focus on a continuity agreement with Canada.
  • The Government has completed trade deals with 52 countries covering 146 billion-worth of trade.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Steven Baker Con
Business & Trade
Context

Progress on a free trade agreement between the UK and Canada is being monitored closely. The question arises from recent developments and discussions.

Question

What recent progress has been made on concluding a free trade agreement with Canada; and if she will make a statement?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

We are determined to reach a deal with Canada before the end of the year. It is a fellow G7 member and one of the top 10 economies in the world. It will help our trade, from cars to beef, fish and whisky, in a trading relationship already worth £20 billion.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not specify any recent progress made or confirm when a statement will be issued.

How: We Are Determined, It Is A Fellow G7 Member

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Q2 Steven Baker Con
Business & Trade
Context

A supplementary question follows up on the initial query about a free trade agreement, referencing positive developments reported in Bloomberg.

Question

I was glad to see the good news on Bloomberg that there is great hope that we will conclude that deal. Does the Secretary of State share my hope that Canada, like Japan, will go further with us in agreeing free trade than it has with the European Union?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

What we are negotiating at the moment is the vital continuity agreement, but I do hope that, in the future, as Canada is a member of the trans-Pacific partnership that has advanced chapters in areas such as data and digital, we will be able to go much further and build a much deeper relationship.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer does not confirm if she shares his optimism but discusses future possibilities.

How: What We Are Negotiating, But I Do Hope

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Q3 Gareth Thomas Labour (Co-op) Harrow West
Business & Trade
Context

With the UK's withdrawal from the EU, concerns are raised about potential tariffs on British exports to various countries like Mexico and Vietnam if new deals are not completed.

Question

With just days to go, and with not just this continuity agreement still to be completed, British exporters such as our car manufacturers simply do not know whether they will face tariffs potentially as high as 20% in markets as diverse as Mexico and Vietnam and beyond. Is it not the truth that the Secretary of State has focused too much of her time chasing new deals with the Trump Administration and others and taken her eye off protecting the free trade that we already have?

Answer from Elizabeth Truss

The Government have completed trade deals with 52 different countries covering £146 billion-worth of trade. That is a massive achievement. Unlike the Labour party, we are not prepared to agree to any deal put on the table; we will work hard to get a deal that is in Britain's interests. There are deals ready to go with the countries the hon. Gentleman has mentioned, but I am not prepared to do a bad deal to push things forward. We are pushing all those deals forward, and we are making good progress.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The answer discusses completed deals and future plans but does not directly address the specific ask about prioritisation of new deals over existing trade protection.

How: Unlike The Labour Party, We Are Pushing All Those Deals Forward

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