The Department for International Trade (DIT) are actively building bilateral trade links between the UK and Iraq, supported by the work of the Iraq Britain Business Council and the PM Trade Envoy to Iraq Baroness Nicholson.<\/p>
The Ambassador regularly raises trade issues with Prime Minister Abadi and in the last six weeks, along with DIT colleagues, has met with the President of Iraq and the Ministers of Electricity, Construction, Oil and Transport to support commercial opportunities for British companies. As a result, DIT has helped British companies win significant contracts in the air services, security and infrastructure sectors, with British companies competing for more business.<\/p>
The full range of medium and long-term UK Export Finance (UKEF) facilities is available to support UK exports to Iraq. UKEF has received expressions of interest from a number of businesses across a range of sectors. In December, UKEF supported UK exporter Biwater to deliver water treatment solutions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4074", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Garnier"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre Forest"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Garnier"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-01-20", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-01-20T14:48:05.287Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "202"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-01-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Overseas Trade: Iraq"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what recent steps his Department has taken to promote bilateral trade between the UK and Iraq; and if he will make a statement.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/1447", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Andrew Rosindell"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Romford"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Andrew Rosindell"} ], "uin" : "60312"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/674404", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Trade"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/674404/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
I refer the hon Member for North East Fife to the answer I gave him on 23 January 2017, UIN: 59936.<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4074", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Garnier"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre Forest"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Garnier"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-01-25", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-01-25T13:48:59.593Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "202"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-01-17", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Developing Countries: Exports"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment he has made of the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on exporters from developing countries.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4434", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Stephen Gethins"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "North East Fife"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Stephen Gethins"} ], "uin" : "60204"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/673532", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Trade"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/673532/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Government is aware of the issue regarding Yemeni importers\u2019 access to finance for food imports and continues to lobby all parties to the conflict to facilitate commercial access.<\/p>
The Department for International Development (DfID) is providing £1.4 million for the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM) to speed up the clearance process for ships, improve commercial confidence and reduce the price of basic goods. DfID officials are engaging with a range of partners to understand the issues for importer access to finance and explore potential solutions.<\/p>
UK Export Finance has not been approached to provide credit guarantees for exports to Yemen, and is currently off cover due to the extremely poor risk outlook.<\/p>
<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4074", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Garnier"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre Forest"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Garnier"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-01-24", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-01-24T17:58:34.487Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "202"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Yemen: Food Supply"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, if the Government will offer credit guarantees to commercial shipping agents to ensure future food supplies to Yemen.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4427", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ochil and South Perthshire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh"} ], "uin" : "60003"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/673642", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Trade"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/673642/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The UK has entered into no bilateral free trade agreements with foreign governments over the last 12 months. While we remain members of the EU, the EU has competence for trade agreements. The UK will seek to take advantage of all the opportunities available to us to ensure that Britain becomes a global leader in free trade once we leave the EU.<\/p>
DIT\u2019s Colombia office has signed an MoU with the Colombian National Hydrocarbons Agency as part of the State Visit of President Santos. This MOU establishes linkages between the UK and Colombia as key strategic offshore hydrocarbons sector partners.<\/p>
<\/p>"} , "answeringMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4074", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Mark Garnier"} } , "answeringMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Wyre Forest"} , "answeringMemberPrinted" : {"_value" : "Mark Garnier"} , "dateOfAnswer" : {"_value" : "2017-01-19", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "isMinisterialCorrection" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "questionFirstAnswered" : [{"_value" : "2017-01-19T15:00:34.76Z", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} ]} , "answeringDeptId" : {"_value" : "202"} , "answeringDeptShortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "answeringDeptSortName" : {"_value" : "International Trade"} , "date" : {"_value" : "2017-01-16", "_datatype" : "dateTime"} , "hansardHeading" : {"_value" : "Trade Agreements"} , "houseId" : {"_value" : "1"} , "legislature" : [{"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/terms/25259", "prefLabel" : {"_value" : "House of Commons"} } ], "questionText" : "To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, which international agreements, deals and memoranda of understanding the Government has signed with foreign governments relating to bilateral trade with the UK in the last 12 months.", "registeredInterest" : {"_value" : "false", "_datatype" : "boolean"} , "tablingMember" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/members/4427", "label" : {"_value" : "Biography information for Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh"} } , "tablingMemberConstituency" : {"_value" : "Ochil and South Perthshire"} , "tablingMemberPrinted" : [{"_value" : "Ms Tasmina Ahmed-Sheikh"} ], "uin" : "60174"} , {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/673643", "AnsweringBody" : [{"_value" : "Department for International Trade"} ], "answer" : {"_about" : "http://data.parliament.uk/resources/673643/answer", "answerText" : {"_value" : "
The Department for International Trade (DIT) is responsible for the government\u2019s strategic relations programme which manages relationships with key investors and exporters through named contact ministers.<\/p>
DIT is currently refreshing the allocation of contact ministers across government and intends to publish the updated list on www.gov.uk<\/a> in due course.<\/p>