INTERNATIONAL TRADE WITH INDIA
Unusually for me, I participated virtually in Parliament today from my Ipswich flat.
I told the Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, that in Ipswich we are fortunate to have an incredibly engaged local Indian community, many of whom run businesses sourcing goods coming from India. It is also worth mentioning that a lot of produce coming from India gets processed at the port of Felixstowe to be sent to the rest of Britain.
I asked whether the Government has plans to closely engage with local Indian communities such as those in Ipswich, and possibly introduce cultural exchanges to bridge cultural barriers and therefore boost trade between our countries?
The Secretary of State informed me that she would be delighted to engage with the local Indian community in Ipswich and across the country as well. She told me that our current trade with India is around £24 billion and that we have huge opportunities to expand this. The Government is currently working on an enhanced trade partnership with India and the Secretary of State would be delighted to work with local communities to make it happen.