Chamber and committees

I am pleased to announce that the second Annual Report on our progress towards implementing Scotland’s Vision for Trade is being published today.

The Vision positions trade strategically in support of our wider economic, social and environmental ambitions. Since our last Annual Report, published in Spring 2022, we have used the levers available to the Scottish Government to support the delivery of NSET, help meet our climate targets and to align economic growth with our ambitions for building a wellbeing economy. The report outlines in particular the steps we have taken to improve the trading environment for Scottish goods and services, to build our evidence base on the differential impacts of trade, to put human rights at the centre of our trade policy, and to showcase Scotland’s leadership on environmental regulation at a multilateral level.

Recognising that many trade levers do not sit with the Scottish Government, we have continued to scrutinise and contribute to the UK Government’s proposals for each new Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and, in the case of US States, any new Memoranda of Understanding on trade. We have assessed these against our trade policy principles, so that they best serve the interests of Scotland’s economy, people and the planet.

We have also continued to engage in open dialogue on trade policy with individuals, businesses, academics and other organisations, in Scotland and elsewhere. This second Annual Report details, for example, the creation of a Scottish Services Trade Forum, an avenue for services businesses to directly inform our approach to trade, as well as stakeholder roundtables on regulation, differential impacts, climate and the World Trade Organisation (WTO). As we move into the third year of implementing Scotland’s Vision for Trade , we will continue to work in collaboration with our stakeholders and businesses to enhance the impact of trade in our wellbeing economy.