News and analysis on trade policy in Europe
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
After energy, the most exposed sector to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is food because both countries are among the top global exporters of grains and fertiliser. While this gives further impetus to the ongoing policy debates about supply security and economic resilience in a range of countries, this crisis may …
Businesses are on the defensive when it comes to the EU’s trade and regulatory agendas. This situation requires rethinking from both policy makers and lobbyists.
India’s recently announced trade deals with the United Arab Emirates and Australia have surprised those accustomed to India’s often obstructive trade policy. Their content however suggests that attitudes in New Delhi have not yet changed too much. This suggests there will be difficulties ahead for the UK – and the …
There is renewed speculation that the United Kingdom will delay the introduction of full import checks on food arriving from the European Union. Seen together with the ongoing disagreement with Brussels over the Northern Ireland Protocol, this reflects the British government’s continuing difficulty to reconcile leaving the single market with …
This week’s EU-China summit will be dominated by discussions on Russia and Ukraine. There is also a trade dimension to the conversation, amidst increasing mistrust and fears of full economic decoupling in the future. There is a need to prepare for the possibility of the latter while still setting out …
The recent compromise reached by the US, EU, India and South Africa over Intellectual Property and COVID-19 vaccines is neither perfect nor guaranteed to succeed but it is a reminder that agreements are possible in the World Trade Organization. Despite the remaining serious challenges to the trading system, signs of …
The United Kingdom and New Zealand can be considered among the countries most open to trade within a strong ruleset, and their recently released free trade agreement text unsurprisingly therefore breaks some new ground. However, with often relatively weak new provisions it isn’t a new model for inclusive trade that …
The question of whether Russia should continue to benefit from World Trade Organization membership has moved to prominence in recent days. The rules to remove most-favoured nation treatment are clear and should be applied. But we should be cautious of going further as this would risk the WTO’s future without …
The EU’s strong response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has surprised many. The whole crisis should serve as a reminder of the EU’s symbolic importance of bringing the continent together: EU trade and broader policy towards its neighbours now needs to reflect this.
As the shape of global trade changes, so does the EU need to update its thinking about its trade relationships with developing countries.
