Defra welcomes the Committee’s recognition of its efforts to resolve the issues faced by exporters at the start of the year, as the country transitioned towards a new trading relationship with the EU. The Committee’s specific recommendations have been addressed elsewhere in this document, but the Government remains committed to supporting businesses exporting to the EU. processes, which we recognise is a problem many exporting businesses are facing. We have made extensive guidance available and held webinars and meetings with exporters and trade associations to help businesses understand the new rules. supported by DIT’s Export Specialists across a range of sectors. These webinars set out import requirements and the steps businesses need to take to comply with them. These are available online. We continue to strengthen our support for exporters and look to make information on EU import controls simpler and more accessible. SMEs make up 97% of food and drink businesses and we recognise that they need tailored support. We are delivering this through an SME forum that meets regularly. This enables us to reach around 40,000+ SMEs through direct and intermediary distribution networks to aid understanding of export issues and help address them, as well as share best practice and facilitate peer to peer support. Defra continues to work closely with OGDs, in particular with DIT, to ensure that the UK has a comprehensive overview of current and emerging trade barriers and is working systematically to address them. We also work closely with UKMis, AHDB, NFU Europe and others based in market to help smooth export barriers, as well as identify demand trends and opportunities for UK exporters. DIT’s ‘Open Doors’ campaign and its export academy encourages farmers and producers to explore new markets and provides tools to build understanding of export opportunities Fourth Special Report of Session 2021–22 5 and capability to deliver on it. This will drive businesses to the support available from DIT to sell in new markets or export for the first time. Through the “Open Doors” and related initiatives we are demonstrating our commitment to delivering the plan for growth and Building Back Better. This will support job creation, local economic vitality and the levelling up agenda. We continue to engage with the European Commission and the EU Member States, at both a national and Border Control Post level, to ensure that we share a common understanding of the EU’s export rules and how they should apply and to resolve any issues that UK exporters may be experiencing. Engagement also continues through the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee and the TCA Partnership Council (PC), with the PC meeting for the first time on 9 June 2021.