Watch our evidence session today on maintaining EU trade agreements post #Brexit. We'll hear from Lord Hannay and @LORDMARKPRICE We're streaming live from 10am at goo.gl/b3yfgp #UKtrade 
Lord Hannay is increasingly worried that the Secretary of State & @tradegovuk aren't giving sufficient priority to countries with which EU has FTAs. A standstill/ transition agreement will delay when these issues will arise, as the UK will stay in the Customs Union. #UKTrade 
.@LORDMARKPRICE says what's needed by March 2019: 1 WTO schedules needed to be posted. 2 Anti-dumping & anti-subsidy legislation and to carry over EU FTAs (hence Trade Bill). 3 Pursue “transitional adoption” with parties to EU FTAs. 4 New FTAs post-Brexit #UKTrade 
.@LORDMARKPRICE says third countries will want to know what EU-UK agreement will look like. We’re trying to adopt what applies now & then diverge in future. We simply can’t renegotiate these agreements for day one.
.@LORDMARKPRICE expanded on his tweet 'All have agreed rollover' saying third countries were given options to 1) cut & paste EU agreement, changing names; 2) letters of agreement to continue on the same basis; 3) new FTA. All countries ultimately wanted options 1) or 2). 
.@LORDMARKPRICE further explained his tweet 'All have agreed rollover' saying we can’t actually do anything until March 2019. Some agreements will be more complicated than others. I visited all these countries and they all told me they wanted to roll over. #UKTrade
.@LORDMARKPRICE tells us the biggest risk for the UK is knitting together what happens regarding EU trade and the knock-on effects of this for third countries. There needs to be really good communication between @tradegovuk and @DExEUgov #UKTrade
.@LORDMARKPRICE tells us of “living in sin”, spending <10 years in a transitional arrangement, working towards an agreement. DIT could discuss rolling over FTAs with third countries (transitional adoption) but changing anything would be a new FTA to negotiate post-Brexit #UKTrade
Lord Hannay tells us the Florence Speech proposal of a standstill transition gives more time to think about third country problems but we can’t vary agreements during this period. Countries involved are substantial trade partners we can’t afford to lose trade with. #UKTrade 
.@LORDMARKPRICE voted to remain and would do so again but he respects the result. He believes the UK’s best option is to leave the Customs Union. Turkey's arrangement would be very restrictive. Single market membership requires accepting the four freedoms #UKTrade
Lord Hannay can’t see any circumstances where losses from leaving the CU / SM will be outweighed by gains from new agreements. Margaret Thatcher was the person who was most insistent on the four freedoms. The UK invented the unity of those principles. #UKTrade 
Lord Hannay hasn't seen a serious technical answer to the Irish border problem. The government says it will fall back to “full alignment”: they deny it means what it seems to, but haven’t said what it does mean. The agreement in December has an inbuilt contradiction. #UKTrade
.@LORDMARKPRICE says the Kyoto Agreement's clear that we'll need rules of origin that apply to the UK for each country & can't involve the EU. DIT's very aware of methodologies & which countries are involved. It adds complexity. The EU & UK had constructive conversations on this.
