Commentary
Originally international trade agreements were about reducing tariffs on trade in goods, but with growing globalisation and since the Tokyo Round Agreements in 1973 non-tariff issues such as standards, investment and employment rights have become equally, or more, important in negotiation both multilaterally and in regional associations.
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Guest author for the TKE and agricultural trade expert Chris Horseman writes about bananas and Brexit. This article contemplates what the UK might do about its external trade regime after Brexit, and uses the example of bananas to illustrate some of the challenges.
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The Long Kiss Goodnight: Negotiating the future relationship between the UK and the EU. Amar Breckenridge discusses the current state of affairs of UK-EU negotiations.
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Show me the Money: Prospects for United Kingdom and EU cooperation on Financial Services post-Brexit Draft Guidelines for the second phase of Brexit negotiations were submitted to the European Council on 7 March 2018, for adoption on 23 March. In them the EU lays down tight limits for negotiation of the UK’s withdrawal agreement and […]
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President Trump announced on 1 March that he would impose tariffs respectively of 25% and 10% on US imports of steel and aluminium. The backdrop to this dramatic action is of course the longstanding decline in US steel production, together with the sustained impact on world steel markets of Chinese overcapacity in the sector. The […]
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Theresa May’s latest major speech on the United Kingdom Government’s Brexit policy developed a pattern already established in her speeches delivered at Lancaster House, London and in Florence during 2017. Mrs. May was much criticised for the lack of practical detail in those earlier speeches about what the UK’s future trading relationship with the remaining […]
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Michael Johnson discusses the implications of Brexit on road transport across the channel, and subsequently the impact that this can have on trade between the UK and the EU. Large lorries registered anywhere from Vilnius or Gdansk to Lisbon or Athens are a familiar sight on United Kingdom roads. The goods they transport – food, […]
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Politicians and commentators talk in general terms about the prospect of the UK’s negotiating a lot of individual trade agreements with other countries once Brexit has taken effect. Such trade agreements are commonly referred to as preferential or “free trade” agreements (FTAs). They are preferential in the sense that the countries that sign up to […]
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The theory Paul Krugman once wrote that if there were ever to be an Economists’ Creed, its first two points would be: (i) I believe in free trade and (ii) I understand the principle of comparative advantage. The latter supports the former. The theory predicts that countries are better off if they specialise in goods […]
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During the run-up to the UK referendum on European Union membership in June 2016 the difficulties which Brexit might cause in political, economic and administrative relations between Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic were recognised, but not seriously considered. Since then the issue of Brexit and the Irish border – how to avoid creating some […]
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