Japan trade deal good for Shropshire, says MP

Mark Pritchard, MP for The Wrekin, said news that trade talks were progressing well with a view to signing a trade deal with Japan by the end of the year, were good news for people in Shropshire who worked for Japanese companies.

Speaking in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Pritchard also welcomed news that Britain was seeking to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), an 11-member trading block that includes Japan, Australia and New Zealand.

The prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand yesterday also expressed a desire to conclude trade deals with the UK by the end of the year.

Mr Pritchard congratulated Trade Secretary Liz Truss on the progress made in seeking a deal with Japan.

He said: "The bilateral trade agreement will be very welcome to many people employed by Japanese companies in Shropshire, and I welcome the announcement today by the prime ministers of Australia and New Zealand."

Mr Pritchard also asked Miss Truss when he thought Britain was likely to join the CPTPP.

Framework

"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 have signed?" he asked.

Miss Truss said given that the CPTPP was made up of 11 members, it was inevitable that the UK would need to have discussions with all those countries.

"The convenient aspect, of course, is that there is already an agreement fleshed out, that we'll be working within that framework," she added.

"We're already in discussion with those 11 members, some of which we have been negotiating with bilateral deals with, and when we are in a position we will put forward our formal application, and I hope we can make rapid progress.

"There certainly is an enthusiasm about having the UK as part of CPTPP, because people see us as a high-standards country that believes in free trade, and believes in the rules-based global system, so I will do it as quickly as I can, but making sure at all points we get a good deal for British industry, and that we don't cross over any of our red lines."

Other members of the CPTPP include Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Singapore, and Vietnam. It is the successor to the Trans-Pacific Partnership which would have included the US, before President Donald Trump announced his country's withdrawal.