Brexit: Finish tariffs on UK-made ice cream van tariffs – Liz Truss

The federal government has promised to push for an finish to tariffs on UK-made ice cream vans throughout commerce negotiations with the US, Australia and Japan.

Different international locations at the moment impose costs of as much as 5% once they import the automobiles.

Worldwide Commerce Secretary Liz Truss known as them a “nice British export” and promised to carry them up in talks.

The vans, lots of whose homeowners additionally promote espresso, tea and frozen yogurt, are a well-known sight on UK roads.

Throughout summer season, they alert potential prospects once they method a park or suburban road by taking part in bursts of basic tunes, comparable to Greensleeves or Giovanni Capurro’s O Sole Mio – identified to many within the UK because the theme as soon as utilized in Wall’s Cornetto adverts.

Restrictions on buying and selling spots and the larger use of house freezers imply the variety of ice cream van operators within the UK has declined from a excessive of round 20,000 within the 1950s to about 5,000 at the moment.

But the nation stays one of many world’s main exporters of the automobiles, which may promote for tens of 1000’s of kilos.

In Parliament, Conservative MP Kieran Mullan, who has Whitby Morrison, the UK’s largest ice cream van producer, in his Crewe and Nantwich constituency, stated to Ms Truss: “They’re exporting their vans to greater than 60 international locations worldwide however they nonetheless face appreciable commerce boundaries.

“Can the secretary of state guarantee me that in commerce talks with Japan, the US, Australia and different international locations that now we have ice cream vans on the checklist so we are able to again this nice British export?”

She replied: “I congratulate my honourable pal for his championing of this unbelievable ice cream van enterprise.

“They’re certainly an important export and at the moment face tariffs of as much as 5% with a few of our negotiating companions and it is one thing we will likely be – eradicating these tariffs – in addition to different tariffs as a part of the commerce offers we’re seeking to strike.”

Final month, Ms Truss warned {that a} dispute over one other iconic UK product – stilton cheese – could possibly be a sticking level in a possible post-Brexit commerce cope with Japan.