Trade Policy Advisory Group meeting: 13 March 2025
Summary of the Trade Policy Advisory Group meeting held in person on 13 March 2025.
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Attendees
Chair: Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning.
Attendees included representatives from the following organisations:
- ACCA Cymru
- BIC Innovation
- Cardiff University
- Chambers Wales
- Federation of Small Businesses
- Hybu Cig Cymru
- Make UK
- NFU Cymru
- RDP Law
- RSPCA
Welcome and introductions
Rebecca Evans MS, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning opened the meeting by thanking the members for their valuable contribution to date.
The Cabinet Secretary stated that the trade environment has changed significantly in recent years and her priority is to ensure that the Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖcontinues to adapt to the changes around us and make sure that we are not missing opportunities or failing to respond to risks.
Update on trade deals under negotiation by the UK government
The Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Government’s Director of International Relations and Trade provided an overview of the work to date regarding the UK government’s free trade agreements. It was highlighted that the Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖis engaging with the UK government and inputting into discussions on international trade policy and trade negotiations.
The group discussed and provided opinions on the following matters:
- Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and the importance of regulations alignment across the member states of the GCC.
- The UK-India negotiations restarting.
- The potential impact of US tariffs.
- The development, and Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖengagement, on the UK government’s trade strategy.
- The Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Government’s Investment Summit.
- The UK Internal Market Act.
The UK/EU and EAEC: Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) priorities
The Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Government’s Head of Trade Policy provided an update on our engagement with UK government on where we think improvements could be sought from the TCA, and which of these areas are a priority for the Îʶ¦ÓéÀÖ Government.
The group discussed and provided opinions on different areas the existing agreement could be improved.
Sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) alignment
The Policy Development Lead for Hybu Cig Cymru presented a paper on the potential benefits of UK-EU SPS alignment.
The group discussed and provided opinions on the different potential options relating to SPS agreements and the benefits and risks associated with each.
Closing remarks
The Cabinet Secretary closed the meeting by thanking attendees for their wide-ranging contributions to discussions.