Overview of the Bill
1 The Trade Bill provides key measures that are required to build a future trade policy for the UK once we leave the EU. These measures include:
● The Trade Bill includes a power to ensure that the UK can implement any procurement obligations arising from the UK becoming a member of the GPA in its own right. The Agreement on Government Procurement (GPA) is a plurilateral agreement within the WTO framework. It mutually opens government procurement markets and seeks to address trade barriers. The UK is currently a member by virtue of its EU membership and will have to re-join as an independent member.
● The implementation of agreements with partner countries corresponding to the EU’s Free Trade Agreements (FTAs) and other trade agreements in place before the UK’s exit from the EU. The Trade Bill includes a power for the Government to implement any changes to domestic law which will be necessary for the UK to meet obligations flowing from these agreements.
● Setting out the basis of a new Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) to deliver the new UK trade remedies framework.
● The Trade Bill also enables the TRA to provide advice, support and assistance to the Secretary of State in connection with the conduct of international disputes and other functions of the Secretary of State relating to trade and functions of the TRA. The TRA may also provide such advice, support and assistance to other organisations on its own initiative.
● Power for HMRC to collect data on behalf of the government to confirm the number of exporters of goods and services in the UK and to be able to identify those exporters for trade promotion purposes.
● Power to establish a data sharing gateway between HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) and other public and private bodies, so that those bodies, including Department for International Trade (DIT), can discharge their public functions and access record-level data for research, monitoring and evaluation.