argyrotsipi/train-dataset huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): First, I thank my right hon. Friend for all the work he did as International Trade Secretary in pursuing this ambitious agenda. It is great that I have the Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, my hon. Friend the Member for Beverley and Holderness (Graham Stuart), the Minister responsible for exports, on the Front Bench with me, and we are working on a new export strategy precisely to take advantage of the new trade agreements we are negotiating. One thing we are negotiating in all those agreements is a dedicated SME chapter to make it easier for our small and medium-sized enterprises to get through procedures, to get rid of a lot of the red tape and to get into those overseas markets. We will be spending this year helping those companies to do that.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): What we are announcing today is our intention to accede, and we are talking to all 11 partners of CPTPP to have those preparatory discussions. Our formal application to CPTPP will require 11 different market access agreements to be sought with all the separate nations with which we are negotiating. We have absolutely no intention of lowering our food safety, environmental or labour standards, or any other standards. We are a high quality, high standards nation, and we want to work with the CPTPP countries on that basis. We believe in free trade and the rules-based system, and that is very much what CPTPP stands for The hon. Gentleman asked about investor-state dispute settlement systems. We have signed up to a number of those already, in a series of investor agreements that the UK has already made. Indeed, there are investor provisions in the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement, which we are seeking to roll over with Canada. We will always ensure that the UK Government have the right to regulate, that we have control of our public services, and that the NHS is not on the table. If we do not get those things in any of the agreements we try to negotiate, we will simply walk away.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Alicia Alexandra Martha Kearns (Conservative, Centre-right): There can be no doubt that my right hon. Friend is doing all she can to seize every possible opportunity as we grasp our new freedoms, not least for Melton’s stilton and pork pie producers. Does she agree that our joining CPTPP is important if we are to strengthen trading relationships with allies who respect international norms and values, better to isolate rogue trading practices by states that use trade as a weapon?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend make an extremely important point. One benefit of CPTPP is that it is a free-trade, high-standards arrangement with countries that follow the rules. We want to create alliances with like-minded allies across the world, and ensure that that is the way the world trade system operates. It is also important to diversify our trade, so that we are not dependent on single countries or regions for imports, or for where we export to. We must have options as a country, and be able to work with those who share our values.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): As we seek to recover from coronavirus, it is incredibly important that we protect and expand our exports, which represent 31% of the UK economy and include vital industries such as the steel industry, the car industry and the food and drink industry. We must find new markets for those exports and link to fast-growing parts of the world. We must also protect against protectionism. One of the benefits of signing free trade agreements is avoiding tariffs on our goods and services, and CPTPP represents 13% of the global economy—16% if we add the UK—and includes fast-growing parts of the world. At a time when we are seeking to revive the economy, this is exactly the type of agreement we should be joining. In parallel, of course, we are negotiating with the EU to secure a good agreement with it. It is not an either/or; we need to be trading with all the world.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Alun Craig Williams (Conservative, Centre-right): Montgomeryshire has many Japanese-owned manufacturing businesses and the UK’s largest livestock market ready to ship Welsh lamb across the world at the drop of a hat. I welcome my right hon. Friend’s statement. Given that Japan accounts for nearly half of the GDP of this partnership, what outreach have we done with our close economic friends and allies, what are the Japanese Government saying about our accession, and what support can we rely on from our allies to help us accede to this great partnership?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): Japan is a very important partner of the UK, and we are separately negotiating our bilateral trade agreement, but when I spoke to Minister Motegi, who is responsible for negotiating on Japan’s behalf, he was very clear that he supported the UK’s accession to CPTPP. We are also pursuing accession with Australia and New Zealand. These bilateral partnerships are a way of accessing that wider arrangement in Asia- Pacific. My hon. Friend is right—there are huge export opportunities for Britain into Japan and huge investment opportunities for British firms into Japan and for Japanese firms into the UK.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Environment
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): In the negotiations, we are very clear that we will not allow any agreement to interfere with our right to regulate in areas such as the environment, food standards and public services such as the national health service. That is a clear red line for us.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Dean Russell (Conservative, Centre-right): In my constituency, we do not have any shipping ports, but we have plenty of computer ports that connect us to entire world. Can my right hon. Friend assure me that the CPTPP negotiations and discussions, and all the work being done, will enable all the digital businesses in my constituency to trade gladly around the world?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is right that the advanced digital and data chapter in CPTPP will provide huge confidence for those seeking to buy products in that region from British businesses. It is extraordinary that the Labour party does not think that is of any value. It does not think that the EU, which is prepared to sign these digital and data chapters, has agreements any different from the type of agreement we are seeking to accede to, missing out a huge part of the UK economy.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We have conducted a consultation already. We gave businesses a chance to respond. But rest assured we will engage with businesses throughout this process through our system of expert trade advisory groups, which consult specific industries on the aspect of agreements they relate to. We are negotiating these deals precisely to benefit British businesses—to get the tariffs removed on cars, whisky and so on. We will consult businesses throughout this process to make sure every sector and area of the UK benefits.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
David Gordon Mundell (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my right hon. Friend agree that Scotland has a great trading history, and that its historical links with Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Canada place it well to take advantage of the negotiation that she is announcing today? Do quality products such as Scotch whisky not give us an advantage? This is about quality; it is not about reducing standards.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): Scotch whisky is a hugely successful export right around the world, including to Japan, Australia and New Zealand. One of my aims in these negotiations is to get the tariffs removed on this excellent product so that people can drink even more of it around the world. My right hon. Friend is right about Scotland’s proud trading history. I hope that the businesses and people of Scotland listen to him rather than the negative voices we heard from the SNP.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Agriculture
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I can assure the House that for every sector of agriculture there are benefits to be found from the trade deals we are negotiating around the world. Currently, UK lamb is not allowed into the US market due to a ban. I want to get that ban removed. The US is the second largest importer of lamb in the world. That is a huge opportunity. Likewise, we will make sure that we maintain our standards, that we do not lower our import standards, and that we protect British farming against any unfair competition.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Agriculture
Jason McCartney (Conservative, Centre-right): The Secretary of State is well aware of my passion for maintaining our strict animal welfare and food standards. She also knows what a challenging time it has been for my dairy farmers and my sheep farmers during this covid crisis. What trading opportunities with New Zealand and Australia does she see for them as we go through the CPTPP?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Agriculture
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is a huge champion for his farmers. What we have seen in British agriculture is increasing success in exports. We are now a net exporter of dairy products for the first time in recent years. We are getting increasingly large exports of all kinds of meat products, dairy products, and finished food and drink products. He can be assured that when we are negotiating the specific market access schedules in CPTPP, we will always be looking out for British farmers, making sure that they are getting the benefit of the deal.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Environment
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We are very committed as a country to our zero carbon target by 2050, and we are working hard on the new COP—conference of the parties—summit to make sure that we achieve that. In all the trade negotiations we are conducting, we want to have strong environmental protections protecting our environmental legislation in the UK but also reduced tariffs on low and zero carbon goods.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Mark Andrew Pritchard (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate the Secretary of State on the good progress she is making with the bilateral trade agreement with Japan, which will be very welcome to many people employed by Japanese companies in Shropshire. I welcome her announcement and, indeed, the announcement by the Prime Minister on Australia and New Zealand today. Specifically on the partnership agreement that she has announced, could she give the House an idea of an indicative timetable—when she thinks it might be signed and whether she thinks that will be quicker than many of the trade deals that the European Union has signed?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I thank my hon. Friend for his overall comments. In terms of the timetable for CPTPP, it is an agreement with 11 members, so inevitably that means that we have to be in discussions with all those 11 members and seek agreement with all 11 members. The convenient aspect of course is that there is already an agreement fleshed out, and we will be working within that framework. We are already in discussions with all 11 members. We are negotiating bilateral deals with some of them. When we are in a position, we will put forward our formal application, and I hope we can make rapid progress. There certainly is enthusiasm about having the UK as part of CPTPP, because people see us as a high-standards country that believes in free trade and the rules-based global system. I will reach an agreement as quickly as I can, but I will make sure that at all points we get a good deal for British industry and that we do not cross any of our red lines.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): It is my aim in all our agreements to secure the maximum tariff-free access for our products, but in any given agreement there are always trade-offs. My key priority is making sure that we do not cross any UK red lines.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Gareth Mark Davies (Conservative, Centre-right): Does my right hon. Friend agree that, looking across the world, free trade agreements have been shown to reduce inequalities, create jobs and boost incomes? As such, the opportunity is great from these trade deals with fast-emerging countries, both for the people of Grantham and Stamford and for Britain as a proud global independent nation.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I can assure the hon. Lady that we are working very closely with the Northern Ireland Executive to make sure that Northern Ireland is fully part of any trade deal we agree, and we are specifically consulting Northern Ireland businesses to make sure that they benefit.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Robert Alexander Courts (Conservative, Centre-right): I warmly welcome the statement today. The Pacific region has a growth rate that is double that of the EU. Does the Secretary of State agree that, while the modern dynamic free trade agreement that is sought stands to boost trade enormously, it is not all about numbers? We should also be welcoming the chance for close strategic ties with friends who share our interests.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): My hon. Friend is absolutely right. We want to pursue a trade policy that is economically beneficial to the UK and levels up our country, but helps achieve more resilience for our country, protects us against protectionist urges that we are seeing around the world and diversifies our trade away from dependence on single nations or regions that we might come to regret.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I could read to the hon. Gentleman the list of 11 countries—I assure him that many of them do not speak English as their main language, but that is not really the point. The point is that we want to be the centre of a global trading network. That network, of course, includes our friends and partners in the European Union. It includes the United States and the Americas. It includes the Asia-Pacific region as well. We can have all those things by creating this network of free trade agreements, and we are making rapid progress on that.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Claire Coryl Julia Coutinho (Conservative, Centre-right): The Indo-Pacific region represents 50% of international trade and is the fastest growing region in the world. Does my right hon. Friend agree that being able to accede to the CPTPP, with all its opportunities for our strong services economy, highlights the Brexit benefit of having an independent trade policy that we can pursue on our own terms?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I completely agree with my hon. Friend. She is right that we are able to pursue this policy because we are not a member of the EU, and we are able to sign up to things, such as an advanced digital and data chapter, that the EU does not want to be part of. We have recently launched our new network of digital trade emissaries around Asia precisely to push the case of British business.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Agriculture
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I point out to the hon. Gentleman that New Zealand is not actually using all its current quota of lamb, because there is massive demand for New Zealand lamb around the world, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region, which is closer to production. I can assure him that, when we are negotiating these deals, we will make absolutely sure that British farmers do not have their standards undermined.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: International Affairs
Richard Michael John Ogilvie Graham (Conservative, Centre-right): Our application to accede to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, alongside our application this week to become a dialogue partner in our own right to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, highlights our commitment to Asia, as the Secretary of State has said. It is worth noting that the Kingdom of Brunei Darussalam is both party to the TPP and in the chair of ASEAN next year. Does she agree that it would also be a huge game changer if the United States of America decided to become part of the Trans-Pacific partnership, as it has already mooted?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): I congratulate my hon. Friend on all his excellent work as trade envoy to countries such as Malaysia. I know that he is a big fan of Brunei and visiting it and working with it. In terms of the Americans’ trade strategy, I would not presume to advise them on which networks they should seek to be part of. It is certainly the case that the TPP is a very high-quality agreement, and we want to make it one that more members who believe in free trade and the rules-based global system want to join.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Agriculture
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We already have the Food Standards Agency, which is specifically established as a non-ministerial department to ensure independence over high-quality food standards. Any change to British food standards would need to be voted on by the UK Parliament. That is very strong protection.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Henry Edward Millar Smith (Conservative, Centre-right): This is great news for global Britain. The Trans-Pacific partnership contains countries stretching from the Arctic to the Southern ocean, from South America to Asia. I very much welcome today’s start of talks with Australia and New Zealand on a trade agreement, but is this not also a good opportunity to engage with emerging markets, particularly in south-east Asia?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): It is correct to say that there are major opportunities with Australia and New Zealand. As well as being champions of free trade in that region, they are extremely well-connected to the Pacific market, so it is an opportunity to reunite with our old friends and allies, as well as to reach out to new trading partners across that very important region of the world.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Marco Longhi (Conservative, Centre-right): I very much welcome the statement by the Secretary of State to the House today. Does she agree that what this country and British business need is confidence at this time of uncertainty? They need messages that bring about greater opportunity for diverse trade and increasing volumes of trade and that do not compromise on our stance of free trade wherever possible. They do not need the opposite messages that we are hearing today, which destroy confidence in British business.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): That is a bit of a cheek coming from a party that wants to separate from our extremely successful Union here in the UK. We want a good trade deal with the EU, just as we want a good trade deal with CPTPP.
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
John Robert Lamont (Conservative, Centre-right): Unlike SNP Members, I very much welcome the opportunities of international trade not just for Scotland, but for the entirety of the United Kingdom. I know that the Government recognise the importance of Japan to Scotland and to UK farmers, particularly to those farmers who export malting barley and grain. Does the Secretary of State agree that a new trade agreement with Japan not only helps Scotland’s farmers to exploit those opportunities, but potentially gives us access to that part of the world?
Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (Accession) — House of Commons, 2020-06-17
Topic: Foreign Trade
Elizabeth Mary Truss (Conservative, Centre-right): We are the second largest malting barley exporter to Japan after Canada and we have fine products both in Scotland and in my own region of East Anglia. Getting access to that wider CPTPP agreement, as well as reducing the tariffs in Japan, will give more opportunities to those fantastic producers.