Source · Select Committees · Business and Trade Committee
Recommendation 2
2
Accepted
Utilise trade dialogues in Asia to reduce tariffs, regulatory uncertainty, and enhance intellectual property protection.
Recommendation
The Government should use its full network of trade dialogues in Asia to push for real, commercially meaningful outcomes to drive down tariffs, remove regulatory uncertainty and improve intellectual property protection. In particular, the Department should explore wider use of ‘between the meeting’ task and finish groups that include the private sector to identify problems that hamper exports and develop solutions more rapidly. (Recommendation, Paragraph 25) Opportunities for trade with Asia-Pacific
Government Response Summary
The government agrees on the importance of trade dialogues and states it already uses them to address market access barriers and engage with businesses at various levels, including ministerial dialogues, without committing to new methods like 'between the meeting' task and finish groups.
Government Response
Accepted
HM Government
Accepted
The Government agrees that trade dialogues provide an important and powerful tool to achieve trade outcomes. The Government uses its trade dialogues to address market access barriers, shape regulatory environments for industries that will shape the future global economy and strengthen economic cooperation. Since the start of this Parliament, the Minister of State for Trade Policy and Economic Security has chaired dialogues with trading partners such as Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan. The Secretary of State has held dialogues with Japan, Australia and New Zealand, key FTA partners in the region. In support of all these dialogues there is significant engagement at official level to understand business priorities and concerns, opportunities from, and utilisation rates of, trade agreements and how to best utilise dialogues to deliver on these. In addition, where appropriate, the Government works with businesses to engage with and influence partner governments in the region in support of the UK’s objectives.