EFRA Committee to scrutinise the UK’s Free Trade Agreements, ongoing FTA negotiations, and recent accession to the CPTPP
The Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee will hold the second session of its ‘UK trade policy: food and agriculture’ inquiry, which will next week see MPs scrutinise the Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) the UK has signed since leaving the EU.
Meeting details
Committee members will also raise negotiations currently being undertaken, and examine the case of the stalling talks between the UK and Canada, in recent days.
The cross-party Committee will take evidence from academics and sector experts, who will be asked for their reflections on the Government’s approach to the trade agreements it is currently pursuing.
The session will consider the implications of the UK’s recent accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), for the UK agri-food sector, questioning witnesses on what the major long-term strategic opportunities and threats to industry may be.
MPs will question witnesses on the impact to the UK agri-food industry and trade relationships of the current geopolitical situation around the Red Sea and the Suez Canal, where disruption to shipping has highlighted the vulnerabilities of geographically extended supply chains.
The session will also investigate the ongoing FTA negotiations between the UK and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and India.