Dear John

Last week, The UK Trade and Business Commission held two live evidence sessions back to back exploring the UK’s free trade agreement with Japan and the prospect of a UK-India trade deal. 

We heard Brexit and threats from the UK Government to breach international agreements are hurting trade between the UK and Japan and the experts who gave evidence explained the free trade agreement between the two countries, one of the first post-Brexit, has “almost no added value”.

Lord Darroch said “I think privately we are a little diminished in their eyes and not what we were a decade ago, and they would be hoping, like many of our allies, that we can as it were, get our relationship with the EU sorted out and stabilised, that we sort the problems over the NI Protocol out.”

While the panel on Japan examined the differences between the current trade deal and the one we used to have as a member of the EU, the panel on India considered the opportunities to be gained if the UK and India could work collaboratively, understanding each others’ trade priorities. 

The evidence gathered was fascinating, and I was reminded that we are working with the UK Trade & Business Commission to do this - to gather evidence, to understand how Brexit and post-Brexit trade deals are impacting the UK - because the UK Government wouldn’t let Parliament do it.

I think this is well worth your time and I hope you’ll take a look at the recorded evidence sessions. I learned a lot and I hope you will too.

Best wishes,

Maheen Behrana
Senior Campaigns and Policy Officer