Promoting Welsh Trade with the United States of America

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:58 pm on 6 March 2018.

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Photo of Carwyn Jones Carwyn Jones Labour 1:58, 6 March 2018

Well, size and mass are important. The UK is just 60 million. The EU is far, far bigger. The US is far, far bigger. We are surely in a better position when we work with other countries in order to develop a common goal. That seems to me to be perfect common sense. But I have to say to him—. He mentions the customs union. Once again I say in this Chamber: offer a better alternative to the customs union—none has been offered—and secondly, solve Ireland. How many times have I said it? I was saying it three years ago in this Chamber, that Ireland was at the heart of the problem when it came to a deal between the UK and the EU. Nobody has come forward with any suggestion that involves the possibility of an open border between the north and south in Ireland and yet still have the UK out of the customs union and the republic inside the customs union. That would create a situation where smuggling would be rife, there's no question about that. That is the question that was never answered in the referendum, hasn't been answered now and still has no solution, apart from the obvious solution which is to stay in the customs union.