Recommendation 7

The EU is the main international export market for Welsh goods and agricultural produce, with a higher proportion of goods from Wales exported to and imported from the EU compared to the rest of UK. Securing a trade deal with the EU is therefore of particular importance for the Welsh economy. A zero tariffs, zero quotas arrangement is of much greater benefit to the Welsh economy than trading on purely WTO terms. It would remove the immediate threat of damaging tariffs and could lay a strong foundation for businesses in Wales to have a close post-Brexit trade relationship with the EU. More than four years after the referendum, during which time businesses have faced considerable uncertainty and many have delayed 40 Brexit and trade: implications for Wales long term planning and investment decisions, we hope that a deal will create a stronger investment climate in Wales and unlock important, and much needed, growth decisions.