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Trade Matters

I am pleased to announce that my Department will today publish an impact assessment for the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (FTA). I have separately written to the EU Scrutiny Committees in both Houses of Parliament such that they can consider this evidence as part of their important scrutiny of this Agreement.

A copy of this impact assessment will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

The European Union and Vietnam agreed on final texts for an EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement and an EU-Vietnam Investment Protection Agreement in July 2018. Proposals for Council Decisions on signature and conclusion of the agreements were published on 19 October 2018, therefore kickstarting the process of parliamentary scrutiny.

The Government remains committed to transparency in trade matters both under current EU parliamentary scrutiny processes and under future UK bilaterally negotiated agreements.