Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Business Exports: US

Thursday 14 September 2023 · 2 questions

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

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 2 Partly answered 0 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministerial efforts have resolved section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium and lifted the ban on UK lamb exports to the US.
  • The UK's trade envoy is working on a memorandum of understanding with Florida to enhance trade opportunities.
  • An SME dialogue is scheduled for next month to support UK-US business relations.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Michael Fabricant Con
Business & Trade
Context

The MP is inquiring about steps taken by the Department to support UK businesses exporting goods and services to the United States, highlighting existing trade barriers such as section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum.

Question

What steps her Department is taking to support business exports to the US. The US is our largest trading partner with over £290 billion in trade annually. However, issues like section 232 tariffs and bans on UK lamb have affected this relationship.

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

We have succeeded in resolving section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminium and lifted the ban on UK lamb. Yesterday, I spoke with President Biden's special envoy about increasing trade and investment opportunities for Northern Ireland. An SME dialogue is scheduled next month to support UK-US businesses.

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Q2 Michael Fabricant Con
Business & Trade
Context

The MP notes that Britain has recently overtaken France in manufacturing output and asks how the nine trade representatives stationed across US embassy and consulate locations can be better utilized to encourage more bilateral trade between the two nations.

Question

How can we use the nine trade representatives in the United States at our embassy and consulates even more to encourage bilateral trade, given that Britain has overtaken France as a manufacturing country?

Answer from Kemi Badenoch

Our trade ambassadors and envoys are working to maximize the opportunities in our US relationship. Our envoy is currently assisting with a memorandum of understanding with Florida, and we would be happy to meet the MP to discuss further engagement that could facilitate UK-US trade.

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