PARLIAMENTARY WRITTEN QUESTION
Imports: Occupied Territories (8 June 2020)

To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, pursuant to the Answer of 12 March 2020 to Question 26894 on Imports: Israeli Settlements, whether goods imported into the UK that originate in Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories are excluded from (a) import duty relief and (b) other preferential benefits under (i) the EU-Israel Association Agreement and (ii) the UK-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement.

Asked by:
James Murray (Labour)

The United Kingdom does not treat the Occupied Palestinian Territories as part of Israel. The settlements are not covered by the EU-Israel Association Agreement nor by the United Kingdom-Israel Trade and Partnership Agreement. Products produced in the settlements are, therefore, not entitled to benefit from preferential tariff treatment.

The Department for International Trade does not provide direct support to business activity in the settlements and my officials work closely with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to encourage companies to put rights and responsibilities at the centre of everything they do.

Answered by:
Mr Ranil Jayawardena (Conservative)
11 June 2020