Economic Partnership Agreements
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what steps the Department has taken to assess the potential impact of Economic Partnership Agreements on (a) a country’s (i) economic development and (ii) ability to export and (b) the ability of African partner countries to implement (A) the African Continental Free Trade Area and (B) other regional integration plans.
Answered by Mr Douglas Alexander
Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs) support inclusive, sustained economic growth and promote regional integration by providing duty-free access for partner exports to the UK and generous cumulation provisions aligned with AfCFTA objectives. Without this access, current trade faces significant risks.
The Department engages closely with partner governments and businesses to gather feedback on tariff arrangements. The Government publishes two key sources of UK trade data with developing countries: statistics on UK utilisation of tariff preferences under trade agreements, and country factsheets outlining broader trade relationships. These data sources, alongside feedback, have shaped EPA priorities, as articulated in the UK's Trade Strategy.
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