What is the FTA programme delivering so far?

The UK government had announced the completion of two entirely new Free Trade Agreements, with Australia and New Zealand by the time of this meeting, and there has been the suggestion it may complete others including joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Most of the attention has so far been on the potentially negative consequences of these deals for UK farmers, but there had been less focus on how well these deals are supporting broad UK economic and social objectives.

This session heard from trade policy experts in the private and voluntary sectors to discuss what we have learnt from the FTAs the UK had agreed to date, what had been good, and what could be improved or achieved in other ways.

Witnesses

● Martin Bell, Deputy Director of Trade, Scottish Whisky Association

● Kierra Box, Campaigner, Friends of the Earth

● Rosa Crawford, Policy Officer, Trades Union Congress