Trade policy
Priorities for 'Global Britain'
27 January 2020
While the British government talks a good game on free trade and openness, it has failed to articulate what it actually wants and why. This will need to change.
Flexibility does not come for free
16 January 2020
An EU-UK free trade agreement will result in new barriers to trade and border friction even if the UK chooses to unilaterally align itself with EU rules and regulations.
Bulletin issue 129 - December 2019/January 2020
28 November 2019
- How should the EU 'get Brexit done'?, Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
- How economically damaging will Brexit be?, John Springford
- Defence without direction, Sophia Besch
How economically damaging will Brexit be?
28 November 2019
Forecasts of the long-term hit from Boris Johnson’s Brexit range from 2 to 7 per cent. There are several reasons to fear that that the costs will be on the higher side.
What a Boris Johnson EU-UK free trade agreement means for business
05 November 2019
Johnson's EU-UK free trade agreement would increase friction and costs of trading with the EU. Many businesses would find adapting to a new FTA just as troublesome as if the UK had crashed out without a deal.
Choppy waters ahead for EU trade policy
30 September 2019
The strategic case for new EU free trade agreements is strong. But delivering them requires accommodating the European Parliament and winning over an inwardly focused agriculture lobby.
How would negotiations after a no-deal Brexit play out?
03 September 2019
After no deal, the EU would demand that the UK sign up to the provisions of the withdrawal agreement, but in exchange for an emergency deal that is far worse than the standstill transition.
Now is the worst time for 'global Britain'
27 June 2019
Global trade integration has stalled since the financial crisis, and is unlikely to pick up steam any time soon. In that context, plans for ‘global Britain’ will do little to offset the costs of Brexit.
Northern Ireland and the backstop: Why 'alternative arrangements' aren't an alternative
29 May 2019
Technical fixes for the Irish border will only work if created in conjunction with affected communities and businesses.
Europe without the UK: Liberated or diminished?
13 March 2019
In 2016 the CER made ten predictions about the effect of Brexit on future EU policy. How do they stand up now, on the eve of the UK’s departure?
The cost of Brexit to September 2018
27 January 2019
The UK economy is 2.3 per cent smaller than it would be if Britain had voted to remain in the European Union.
An effective UK trade policy and a customs union are compatible
29 November 2018
If the UK enters into a customs union with the European Union it will be able to operate an effective trade policy, but the political focus would need to shift away from headline-grabbing, comprehensive free trade agreements.
Bulletin Issue 123 - December 2018/January 2019
29 November 2018
- An effective UK trade policy and a customs union are compatible, Sam Lowe
- China and Europe: Buying hearts and minds?, Ian Bond
- What is Europe doing to fight disinformation?, Camino Mortera-Martinez
Regime change? The European economy to 2030
20 July 2018
The crises of the 1970s led to the single currency and a deeply integrated single market. What economic regime will the EU need to build after the crises of the last decade?
Dead or alive? A UK-US trade deal
20 July 2018
The Chequers proposal would likely come at the cost of a transatlantic trade deal, but Theresa May is right to prioritise ties with the EU.
Bulletin Issue 121 - August/September 2018
20 July 2018
- Regime change? The European economy to 2030, John Springford
- The EU's problem with May's plan for Brexit , Charles Grant
- Dead or alive? A UK-US trade deal, Sam Lowe, Beth Oppenheim
Inching our way towards Jersey
11 July 2018
The EU will probably reject Theresa May’s Chequers compromise. Rather than confronting the EU on its fundamental principles, the UK should build upon the foundations of a customs union.
On Brexit, TTIP and the City of London
30 May 2018
The EU was keen to include financial services in TTIP, the proposed trade agreement with the US. Is its reluctance to do so with the UK mere hypocrisy?
Bulletin Issue 120 - June/July 2018
30 May 2018
- On Brexit, TTIP and the City of London, Sam Lowe
- Trump and Europe: Atlantic hurricane season?, Ian Bond
- Can EU-UK defence negotiations be positive-sum?, Sophia Besch
UK must swallow the unpalatable Irish backstop
15 May 2018
Theresa May and the Brexiters should have the courage of their convictions and agree to a backstop that grants a special status to Northern Ireland.