Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:27 pm on 18 March 2020.
Thank you. You're absolutely right in identifying the importance of trade. Trade contributes about 22 per cent of the GDP to the economy of Wales, so it is something that we have to take very, very seriously. Obviously, we are particularly concerned about the trade negotiations that should be ongoing with the European Union in relation to Brexit, knowing that that deadline is coming up. We of course would advocate that that should probably be pushed back now, under the circumstances.
There is another trade negotiation that was due to start next week with the United States, and obviously it's impossible for those trade negotiators now to actually get to the States in order to start those negotiations. So, I do think we have to be a bit more creative in the way that we approach these things. Certainly, in relation to import and export, supply chains for the Welsh economy are absolutely crucial, and certainly this is an area that we are keeping an eye on. Because, obviously, if people can't bring in the components that they need, then that will cause great problems and ultimately could force factories to close.