Trade policy
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?
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
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.
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.
Is Labour selling the UK a Turkey?
12 April 2018
A future UK-EU customs union should not be ruled out. While it would place some constraints on a future UK independent trade policy, the positives far outweigh the negatives.
Will the unity of the 27 crack?
15 March 2018
Some British politicians believe that the 27 will divide during the Brexit trade negotiations, because of their differing economic interests. But disagreements between the 27 are minor, thanks to Theresa May's red lines.
Brexit and rules of origin: Why free trade agreements ≠ free trade
13 March 2018
Without an EU-UK customs union British exporters will face a new barrier to trade: rules of origin. No amount of positive thinking and innovative solutions can eliminate this problem.
The Ukraine model for Brexit: Is dissociation just like association?
27 February 2018
Some argue that a Ukraine-style association agreement offers the UK a viable model for its future relationship with the EU, combining both ‘sovereignty’ and close economic ties.
Britain's services firms can't defy gravity, alas
05 February 2018
Britain's specialism in traded services, some of which can be delivered electronically, has led Brexiters to claim that the country's trade will inevitably unmoor itself from Europe. In fact, Britain is not about to enter a "post-geography trading world".
'Canada', 'Norway' or something in between?
26 January 2018
The EU will reject's Britain's request for a bespoke partnership based on regulatory alignment. The UK will have to put up with a Canada-style deal, unless it shifts its red lines.
Bulletin Issue 118 - February/March 2018
22 January 2018
- Poland’s prime minister: New face, same old tune?, Agata Gostyńska-Jakubowska
- Holding out hope for a half-way Brexit house, John Springford, Sam Lowe
- From 14 points to 280 characters: Trump vs Wilson, Ian Bond
Holding out hope for a half-way Brexit house
22 January 2018
The UK is considering 'managed divergence' from EU rules, which the 27 will reject. A better strategy would be to remain in the customs union and single market for goods.
Of transition and trade deals
16 January 2018
The UK will not be able to replicate the EU’s free trade agreements ready for March 30th 2019. The only solution is to ask the EU for help.
Conference report: How to save the EU
15 January 2018
50 leading economists, political scientists and experts on the EU considered the forces undermining the Union, and how Europe should respond to them.
UK + EU = Canada+?
01 December 2017
A post-Brexit deal along the lines of the EU-Canada trade agreement would do a lot of damage to the British economy. Can the UK hope for anything better?