According to our records, the Secretary of State has not received any representations from the US on the import of pork products from pigs fed with the additive ractopamine.

In preparation for the UK’s departure from the EU, the Government has been working to establish our autonomous membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO). Amongst other things, this has included laying the UK’s Goods Schedule at the WTO for certification, which was done on 24 July 2018. The UK’s Schedule replicates the EU28’s bound tariffs and sets out UK specific tariff rate quota (TRQ) volumes determined by a joint EU-UK agreed apportionment methodology. The underlying principle of the approach to establishing TRQs is to maintain current levels of market access into the UK for all WTO members.

Certifying the UK’s Goods Schedule is a process, and we are aware that some WTO members have expressed concern about potential impacts on existing access to trade which result from the apportionment methodology. In response, on 21 December 2018 the UK Government formally opened an Article XXVIII process under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, which specifically addresses TRQs. This was done with a view to engaging directly with WTO members about their concerns, and working towards formal certification of the UK’s Goods Schedule. This process is currently underway.

Defra officials have been engaging directly with officials from Australia and New Zealand since 2016. We are fully aware of their views and have established a dialogue, including negotiations through Article XXVIII, to resolve the issues that they raise.

In light of this, we do not expect the UK to be subject to formal complaint procedures in relation to TRQs. However, in the unlikely event that the UK were to be challenged on this once we leave the EU, we are confident that the steps we have taken maintain the existing balance of rights and obligations and are fully consistent with WTO practice.

An Intra-Trade Animal Health Certificate (ITAHC) was issued in February 2018 for the import of 31 reindeer from Finland to the United Kingdom.

The decision to permit the import would have been made by the certifying vet attesting that the animals to be imported complied with the health conditions of Article 4 of Council Directive 92/65/EEC on the ITAHC. The certifying vet would also have attested that the animals were transported in accordance with the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport.

As a precautionary measure, in October 2016 the EU banned the import of live cervids from Norway, where the disease was first confirmed in Europe, and introduced safeguard measures to limit the seasonal movements of live cervids between certain regions of Norway, Finland and Sweden. Following the confirmation of the first case of chronic wasting disease in Finland in March 2018, the Finnish Government voluntarily introduced a ban on the export of live cervids.

The UK will continue to implement EU controls on cervid imports following our departure from the EU.

Neither the Secretary of State for International Trade nor his officials have discussed with their Australian counterparts the increasing of an Australian lamb quota in the event of a no deal.

The number of reindeer and the number of consignments imported into the UK in 2018 is as follows:

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) are not able to provide any data regarding the number of imports from third countries, as these are covered by a commodity code in TRACES which will not allow us to break the species down as far as reindeer for third country imports.

Foxes would be imported into Great Britain under one of two regulations:

• The Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Order 1974 (as amended) (RIO).

• Council Directive 92/65/EEC

The Animal and Plant Health Agency are required to issue an import licence for foxes imported under the Rabies Importation Order or a Quarantine Waiver under Council Directive 92/65/EEC. APHA have not issued any licences or waivers under the two aforementioned regulations for the period 2015 – 2018.

All foxes covered by Schedule 1, Part II of The Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Order 1974 (as amended) will require a licence under the Rabies (Importation of Dogs, Cats and Other Mammals) Order 1974 and must spend 4 months in quarantine unless they are exempted from quarantine. Waivers from quarantine would only be granted if animals were moving from a premises approved in accordance with Article 13 and Annex C of Council Directive 92/65/EEC

Foxes are not part of the Pet Travel Scheme and therefore would not be permitted to move between Member States under the scheme.

The number of reindeer and the number of consignments imported into the UK in 2017 is as follows:

The Animal and Plant Health Agency is not able to provide any data regarding the number of imports from third countries, as these are covered by a commodity code in TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System) which will not allow us to break the species down as far as reindeer for third country imports.

The Government is proud of this country’s high standards of animal welfare, environmental protection and food safety and these will not be watered down when we leave the EU. Our existing UK legislation will continue to apply and the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 will convert EU law as it applies at the point of leaving the EU, into UK law. All existing standards at the point of leaving the EU will, therefore, continue to apply both domestically and to imported goods.

Defra has been developing a new Import Notification Service to control and maintain public and animal health and welfare when the UK leaves the EU. The service will replace elements of the European Trade Control and Expert System (TRACES) which currently handles UK imports of animals, products of animal origin, high risk food, feed and bees. Development and testing continue and the new service will be available for early testing in January 2019.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on UK imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics.

The value of these imports is set out in the tables below. This is based on declared trade so is not an estimate.

We recently consulted on the implementation of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS) and will be introducing legislation to implement the trapping standards set out in AIHTS into UK domestic legislation. We will publish the Government’s response to the consultation this summer.

We already test spring traps to the same welfare standards as set out in AIHTS. Implementation of AIHTS will also introduce new welfare standards for live capture traps for species covered by the Agreement.

We already implement Council Regulation (EEC) No 3254/91 (“the Leghold Trap Regulation”). The Regulation prohibits the use of leghold traps in the EU, as well as the importation of pelts of certain species from countries which permit the use of leghold traps or methods which do not meet international humane trapping standards. We will ensure the operability of the Leghold Trap Regulation in UK domestic legislation post EU Exit.

Becoming a full party to AIHTS would require the Government to ensure the UK had no restrictive trade measures on fur imports from the other contracting parties. This would therefore prohibit any future Government from introducing a comprehensive ban on fur imports, should it wish to do so.

We recently consulted on the implementation of the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS) and will be introducing legislation to implement the trapping standards set out in AIHTS into UK domestic legislation. We will publish the Government’s response to the consultation this summer.

We already test spring traps to the same welfare standards as set out in AIHTS. Implementation of AIHTS will also introduce new welfare standards for live capture traps for species covered by the Agreement.

We already implement Council Regulation (EEC) No 3254/91 (“the Leghold Trap Regulation”). The Regulation prohibits the use of leghold traps in the EU, as well as the importation of pelts of certain species from countries which permit the use of leghold traps or methods which do not meet international humane trapping standards. We will ensure the operability of the Leghold Trap Regulation in UK domestic legislation post EU Exit.

Becoming a full party to AIHTS would require the Government to ensure the UK had no restrictive trade measures on fur imports from the other contracting parties. This would therefore prohibit any future Government from introducing a comprehensive ban on fur imports, should it wish to do so.

HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) is responsible for the collection and publication of data on UK imports and exports of goods to and from the UK. HMRC releases this information monthly, as a National Statistic called the Overseas Trade in Goods Statistics.

Data on imports of fur into the UK in each of the last five years are available in the ‘Build Your Own Tables’ area of HMRC’s statistical website uktradeinfo.com

The total published imports data is as follows:

Further breakdown of this data for fur for the last five years can be accessed from the following link: https://www.uktradeinfo.com/Statistics/5 year imports&arrivals

HMRC is unable to provide information regarding the re-export of fur. It does not collect data that would identify fur being re-exported for trade between the UK and other EU Member States. Following the application of statistical disclosure control HMRC is unable to provide the data for re-exports of fur to non-EU countries, as the information would identify a person or allow their identity to be deduced.

A survey is carried out every two years to collect information about vehicles travelling on the roads. Vehicles with non-UK registration numbers are identified during this survey. This information has been used to produce estimates of the number of foreign-registered vehicles in the UK and the latest available figures can be seen at: www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/tra32-foreign-registered-vehicles-in-traffic.

Foreign registered vehicles that are brought temporarily into the UK are normally exempt from registration and licensing requirements for up to six months in any twelve month period, as long as they comply with the requirements of the home country. Once this exemption period has passed or the keeper of the vehicle becomes resident in the UK, the vehicle must be licensed and registered here.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency works with the police to enforce against foreign registered vehicles that have overstayed the exemption period. Where there is sufficient evidence that a vehicle keeper has not complied with UK requirements enforcement action, including the wheelclamping, removal and disposal of a vehicle, can be taken.