International Trade Secretary consults Birmingham businesses

Dr Fox is speaking at a town hall event in Birmingham today (Monday 1 October) where he will seek the views of businesses based in the West Midlands and call for people across the country to take part in four online consultations. The consultations focus on new free trade agreements with the USA, Australia and New Zealand, as well as the UK potentially joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Trans Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Exports of goods to the USA, Australia, New Zealand and the Trans Pacific Partnership countries were worth £12.7 billion for the West Midlands last year. More than £1 in every £6 of the region’s goods exports went to countries covered by these trading relationships. Getting free trade agreements with these countries will be crucial in fulfilling the new ambition set by the government’s Export Strategy to increase exports to 35% of GDP.  

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