Briefings Fairtrade Foundation Briefing – Trade & Customs Bills, 2nd Reading
Fairtrade Foundation Briefing – Trade & Customs Bills, 2nd Reading
This briefing has been written to support MPs in their preparation for the second readings of both the Taxation (Cross-Border Trade) Bill – also known as the Customs Bill, and the Trade Bill.
At time of writing, the date for second reading of the Customs Bill has been set as Monday 8th January 2018 and we are still awaiting the confirmed date for debate on the Trade Bill.
This briefing considers both of these Bills, as taken together, they aim to prepare the UK to become an independent trading nation in the event of leaving the Customs Union. The Fairtrade Foundation has not taken a view on whether or not this outcome is desirable – our intention, whether the UK applies the common external tariff or not, is to ensure that policy decisions and trade deals improve prospects for developing countries and producers.
