Sammy Wilson: ‘Brexit promises will come to fruition’

The DUP MP was commenting following a meeting with the UK Minister for Trade Elizabeth Truss on Monday.

North Antrim MP Ian Paisley also attended the meeting – to discuss the recently signed UK/Canada trade continuity agreement.

Mr Wilson said: “Currently, 190 Northern Irish businesses trade with Canada and our total exports amount to £598m per year. Our food and drink industry is also making inroads into the Canadian market, with annual sales totalling £12.4m.

“The Government have confirmed that it is their intention to build on these arrangements and that the next round of talks will focus on further trade concessions.”

The East Antrim MP said he was given a “cast iron commitment” from Ms Truss that NI representatives would be included in shaping the many trade deals expected to be signed in the near future.

Mr Wilson said: “I explicitly raised with the Trade Minister the concerns which many businesses in Northern Ireland have about the ability to participate in future trade deals because of the erroneous conditions which the EU insist on imposing via the Northern Ireland protocol. The minister gave a cast iron commitment that Northern Ireland would be a full participant in this and all future trade deals.

“To date, the government have secured trade deals with 53 countries covering £153bn worth of trade; this exposes the lie of the whinging Remainers that outside the EU the UK would be isolated, friendless and find its trade adversely affected.”

He added: “The pace at which new trade deals are being agreed proves that fact and I believe that all the promises made when we encouraged people to break the shackles of Brussels will come to fruition.”

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