Written question asked by Craig Tracey (Conservative) on Thursday, 25 March 2021, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 13 April 2021. It was answered by Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative) on Tuesday, 13 April 2021 on behalf of the Department for International Trade.

Trade Agreements: Israel

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what progress she has made on negotiations with Israel on an agreement for further trade cooperation beyond the trade continuity deal; and what steps she is taking to strengthen the UK’s trade relationship with Israel in the science and technology sector.

Answer: The United Kingdom’s trade relationship with Israel is already strong, totalling £4.9 billion in the four quarters to the end of Q3 2020. The United Kingdom-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement entered into force on 1^st January 2021. As the Foreign Secretary noted, the United Kingdom is now able to start scoping for greater ambition in our trade relationship with Israel. Science and innovation are key elements of this relationship and we are currently building a framework for a new Britain-Israel Science Partnership. Moreover, the ‘TechHub’, based in British Embassy Tel Aviv, continues to partner Israeli expertise with British companies, delivering significant benefits to the British economy.

Secondary information