Department for Exiting the EU: Government sets out vision for post EU trade and customs policy

09 October 2017

Trade and customs white papers pave the way for legislation that will ensure the UK is ready for the first day after EU exit, according to Davis' team latest documents.

The Trade White Paper published by the Department for International Trade establishes the principles that will guide future UK trade policy as well as laying out the practical steps that will support those aims.

These include:

• taking steps to enable the UK to maintain the benefits of the World Trade Organisation’s Government Procurement Agreement
• ensuring the UK can support developing economies by continuing to give them preferential access to UK markets
• preparing to bring across into UK law existing trade agreements between EU and non-EU countries
• creating a new, UK trade remedies investigating authority

Also published today is the Treasury’s Customs Bill White Paper, which sets out plans to legislate for the standalone customs, VAT and excise regimes the UK will need once it leaves the EU. [...]

The Customs Bill will give the UK the power to:

• charge customs duty on goods; define how goods will be classified , set and vary the rates of customs duty and any quotas
• amend the VAT and excise regimes so that they can function effectively post-exit
• set out the rules governing how HMRC will collect and enforce the taxes and duties owed
• implement tax-related elements of the UK’s future trade policy

Trade White Paper

Customs Bill White Paper

© Department for Exiting the European Union