International Trade

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:57 pm on 5 February 2020.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Baroness Mair Eluned Morgan Labour 2:57, 5 February 2020

Well, I think we've got to be extremely careful in this area. We've got to remember that 60 per cent of our trade in goods is with the EU, and that's why, as the Welsh Government, we have been absolutely clear that our priority would be to see a trade deal with the EU as a priority. Those rules and regulations we have already—if we go away from them, the barriers go up in terms of access to those markets, and we have to be very, very careful.

And I think, when you talk about 'no self-respecting nation' would sign up to rules from someone else, that's—. All you're really suggesting is that we sign up to American rules instead of EU rules, and that's certainly not something that you sold when you were trying to tell people in Wales that it would be a good idea to leave the EU.

Jacob Rees-Mogg has said that it could take 50 years for us to benefit from leaving the EU. That's the reality of where we're heading now, and I think it's a real shame. Of course, if we can get a decent deal with the United States, that would help us internationally to grow our exports, to see further inward investment. Of course we'd want to see that, but we don't want to see it at the expense of our relationship with the EU.