Trade Secretary visits Tokyo to deepen UK-Japan trade and investment ties

  • International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan visits Tokyo to strengthen UK trade and investment with a key G7 partner nation.
  • Both countries agreed deeper cooperation on digital trade, climate action and clean energy transition.
  • The UK’s Indo-Pacific tilt is helping to increase our trading relationship with Japan, worth £24.6bn in the last year to September.

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan visited Tokyo on Thursday 24 February to engage in high-level meetings that further the strong relationship between the UK and Japan.

The UK and Japan held the inaugural Ministerial Joint Committee of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), our bilateral Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force on 31 December, 2020.

Ministers discussed how to build on the strong foundations of CEPA and agreed to establish deeper cooperation on digital trade and digitisation, plus post-COP26 climate goals and clean energy transition.

International Trade Secretary Trevelyan and Foreign Minister Hayashi re-emphasised the value of the agreement in delivering for businesses and committed to continued close cooperation to ensure our thriving bilateral trade relationship. Trade between the UK and Japan was worth £24.6bn in the year to end Q3 2021 and continues to go from strength to strength.

The Ministers also discussed the troubling situation in Ukraine, expressing deep concern about Russia’s assault. They condemned Russia’s actions in the strongest possible terms and committed to working together and with partners to take further measures against Russia.

The visit demonstrates the benefits of the UK’s tilt to Indo-Pacific and comes less than a week after the announcement of the launch of the United Kingdom’s CPTPP Market Access negotiations.

International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan said:

It is an honour to visit Tokyo as part of this significant visit that is demonstrating the trading power of Global Britain and putting our Indo-Pacific tilt into practice.

Japan is a key trade and economic partner to the UK. We share many global challenges and I’m excited our two island nations can work together to build on our trade agreement through digital trade and support other countries in the region to adapt to the challenges of climate change.

In meetings with Japan’s CPTPP Minister Yamagiwa Daishiro and with Economy and Trade Minister (METI) Hagiuda Koichi, International Trade Secretary Trevelyan thanked Japan for its support for the UK’s accession to CPTPP and discussed progress on securing accession to the £8.4 trillion trade bloc, which the UK is keen to complete by the end of this year.

Japan is CPTPP’s largest economy and the UK’s 12th largest trading partner. It is also the second largest investor in the UK among non-EU countries, with £102bn in investment stock.

In a busy schedule during the one-day visit, International Trade Secretary Trevelyan also met Japanese business leaders and CEOs from finance, manufacturing and technology sectors.



PM call with NATO leaders: 25 February 2022

Press release

Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed a NATO leaders meeting.

The Prime Minister addressed a NATO leaders meeting this afternoon, to update allies on the UK’s next steps following the appalling bombardment of Ukraine.

The Prime Minister told the group that a catastrophe was engulfing Ukraine, and President Putin was engaging in a revanchist mission to over-turn post-Cold War order. He warned the group that the Russian President’s ambitions might not stop there and that this was a Euro-Atlantic crisis with global consequences.

The Prime Minister urged leaders to take immediate action against SWIFT to inflict maximum pain on President Putin and his regime. The UK would introduce sanctions against President Putin and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov imminently, on top of the sanctions package the UK announced yesterday, he said.

The Prime Minister added that the world must make certain President Putin would fail in this act of aggression. Ukraine was showing strong resistance. He added that there could be no normalisation of relations with Russia after this act.

The Prime Minister outlined details of the UK’s new offer to NATO across its eastern flank. The UK stood ready for any further request from NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe to go further with military support to NATO from UK Armed Forces, he said.

NATO should have primacy in the future of European security and it was vital that it was strengthened now, the Prime Minister added.

Published 25 February 2022



Daily struggles of the Syrian people should serve as a dire warning to the international community

Thank you Mr President, and may I start by thanking our briefers, Special Envoy Geir Pederson and ASG Joyce Myusa — and welcome you to your role.

Today we are reminded of the long-term consequences of war.

After nearly 11 years of conflict in Syria, where we have seen appalling violations of international humanitarian and human rights law, 14.6 million Syrians require humanitarian assistance.

The decimation of civilian infrastructure has left 76% of the population unable to meet the most basic needs. This means chronic malnutrition, rising bread prices, families camping in freezing cold conditions and the stunted growth of young children – levels of suffering that will take a generation of recovery.

So, as we look at the horror of the unfolding situation in Ukraine, the daily struggles of men, women and children in Syria should serve as a dire warning to the international community. The untold suffering of millions, leading to mass displacement, regional instability and economic shock, serves no purpose.

The need for a continued and consistent humanitarian response in Syria is clear: assistance needs to be delivered through all modalities possible. Security Council resolution 2585 needs to be implemented in full and, as we look ahead to July, the renewal of the UN’s cross-border mandate remains essential. The UK supports all efforts to improve cross-line access and improved early recovery efforts.

But to end the conflict and bring lasting peace in Syria, a UN-led political process, as set out in resolution 2254, remains essential. The UK welcome’s Special Envoy Pederson’s continued efforts and the intention to reconvene the Constitutional Committee talks in Geneva in the second half of March. The Syrian regime must engage meaningfully with this process. We urge all parties, including the regime’s backers, to redouble their efforts to find a way forward.

I thank you, Mr President.



Foul-mouthed landowner fined for obstructing and abusing Environment Agency officers

Press release

A man from County Durham has been ordered to pay £1,251 in fines and costs for obstructing and abusing Environment Agency officers who wanted to conduct a site inspection.

Michael Cliff, 57, of Bishop Auckland, appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 22 February where he pleaded guilty to four offences brought forward. These charges included failing to allow an inspection by Environment Agency officers and causing them alarm and distress through threatening behaviour and abusive words.

He was fined a total of £320 for the offences and ordered to pay legal costs and a victim surcharge amounting to a total of £931.

The Prosecuting solicitor for the Environment Agency told the court that on Tuesday 27 April 2021, two Environment Agency officers attended Beckfield Stables in response to information received regarding burning waste at the site.

Mr Cliff confronted the attending Environment Agency officers, using foul language and threatening behaviour, which forced both officers to leave.

Andrew Turner, Team Manager for the Environment Agency in the North East, said:

Our officers do an important job when investigating reports of waste crime, helping to protect the environment by ensuring people and companies operate within the law. We have a zero tolerance policy on abuse and will take appropriate action on any offences committed against our officers.

In mitigation, Mr Cliff explained that he felt unfairly targeted by the authorities and combined with a decline in health and personal issues, resulted in his short temper and angry nature that day, for which he later apologised.

The court did consider a community penalty for Mr Cliff, however due to his ill health, decided to penalise him with a fine. The Magistrate chairing the hearing commented that the incident “was an expensive loss of temper.”

Published 25 February 2022



Leeds man fined for illegal fishing

Press release

The Environment Agency is reminding anglers of the importance of having a rod licence after a Leeds man was fined for fishing illegally.

Benjamin Pollard, 31, of Langley Road in Leeds, was fined £266 and ordered to pay costs of £127 and a victim surcharge of £34.

He pleaded guilty to fishing without a licence at Humber Magistrates’ Court on February 9.

On 9 July 2021 an Environment Agency Fisheries Enforcement Officer, who was on routine patrol in North Yorkshire, spoke to Pollard, who was found to be fishing without a licence at a popular fishing lake near Malton.

Peter Mischenko, Fisheries Officer for the Environment Agency in Yorkshire, said:

It’s vital that anglers abide by the law to protect the future of the sport and the quality of our rivers and fisheries.

We won’t hesitate to take action to stop illegal fishing and hopefully this will act as a deterrent for any angler thinking of cheating the system.

All money raised from rod licence sales is used to improve fish stocks and fisheries, benefiting anglers and the environment.

Buying a rod licence is quick and easy – you can buy them online, starting at just £6.

Those who fish illegally can expect to be prosecuted and face a fine of up to £2,500. Illegal fishing can be reported to the Environment Agency on 0800 80 70 60.

Published 25 February 2022