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Call for Evidence

UK trade policy: food and agriculture

The Committee is seeking views in the following areas:  

Agri-food strategy and oversight  

1. How coherent and effective is the UK’s trade strategy for food and agriculture? Is the Government taking account of the potential cumulative impact of new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs)? 

2. To what extent has UK trade policy provided benefits to the agricultural and food sectors compared to (1) other sectors of the economy and (2) its international counterparts

3. What impact could recent machinery of Government changes, notably the dissolution of the Department for International Trade and its correspondent select committee, have on the development of food and agriculture-related trade strategy and policy and how should any potentially negative effects be addressed?

4. How could FTA scrutiny and consultation (such as through impact assessment, Parliamentary scrutiny, stakeholder consultation, and the Trade and Agriculture Commission) be improved?  

5. Are the UK Government's trade policy objectives consistent with those of the devolved Administrations, and has it taken those objectives adequately into account? 

6. To what extent has the UK exploited potential opportunities for trade in the food and agricultural sectors since its departure from the EU?   

Free Trade Agreements  

7. What impact have FTAs signed since the UK’s departure from the EU, such as those with Australia and New Zealand, had on the agri-food sector? Have opportunities or concerns arising from those agreements been realised? 

8. What impact will the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) have (1) on the agri-food sector and (2) future FTAs? 

9. What approach should the Government take to food and agriculture sector priorities and concerns in its ongoing negotiations with the Gulf Cooperation Council, Canada and India? 

10. Should potential new FTAs with specific countries or organisations be prioritised for agri-food reasons and why?  

Standards and welfare  

11. Is the Government’s approach to trade aligned with its commitment to high standards for health (including plant and animal health), food safety, animal welfare and environmental protection, and the UK’s right to regulate in these areas? 

Impact on food supply  

12. What impact has the Government’s approach to trade policy had on the security, quality and affordability of the UK’s food supply? 

Support for businesses 

13. Is the Government providing sufficient support and guidance for agricultural and food exporters and importers, and how could that support be improved?  

14. How effectively is the Government engaging with industry stakeholders and to what extent is it tackling non-tariff and technical barriers to trade for UK businesses? 

Please contribute your views by midnight, 28 July 2023.

This call for written evidence has now closed.

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