Iana Dreyer takes a closer look at the trade policy proposals included in the manifestos of the four biggest parties in the UK general election to be held on Thursday (8 June 2017).
UK trade policy
Brexit: new world for wines?
The British wine industry is not happy about the effects of Brexit on their trade. But longer term, prospects for British consumers could improve. “It’s a bit gloomy”, said Jancis Robinson, a leading British wine writer and Financial Times columnist. The British public will have to “drink less, and less …
British trade policy: how to take back control
Don’t rush into a deal with China, India or the United States. Make the government machinery more efficient. Formulate a proper trade policy strategy. Engage with civil society, devolved administrations, and be more transparent. That’s the key messages to Whitehall conveyed by the Institute for Government in a report discussing how Britain’s …
Brexit: Council to give separate directives on services trade
The ‘Council (Art 50)’ – how the configuration of the remaining twenty-seven member states is called – has formally adopted negotiating directives for Britain’s withdrawal process from the EU. The Council maintains that any future relationship, including trade, will be negotiated once Britain is out of the EU, a …
Updates: Barnier in Ireland, Lightizer, TDI, CETA
The last days have been filled with bits and bobs of information on EU trade worth sharing:
African Caribbean Pacific group fears consequences of EPAs, Brexit
ACP countries met in Brussels this week to discuss ways to better coordinate their coming relationships with the European Union. Signs are the disparate group of 79 countries – all former colonies of EU member states – has found some common ground as a successor agreement to the 2020 Cotonou …
Lords : Government “overconfident” on WTO agriculture deal
A new House of Lords report on British agriculture trade after Brexit calls on the government in London to seek a transitional arrangement with the EU to help British farmers adapt to a new environment. The key concerns expressed by farm groups include the future of agriculture subsidies, and …
In brief: EU Brexit negotiating goals to include goods trade conditions
The EU formally set out its negotiating principles today. Trading conditions for goods placed on the market feature among the top priorities for the bloc. The EU’s main priorities for what it terms the ‘first phase’ of the UK’s withdrawal from the bloc in 2019 following its triggering of the …
Trade creeps into EU27 draft Brexit directives
The European Union’s latest version of its draft directives for the Brexit negotiations are shaping up. New elements to the negotiating directives include: an arrangement on goods placed on the UK and EU market before the UK’s withdrawal date from the EU (set for 29 March 2019), the mutual …
UK Labour pledges ‘soft’ approach to Brexit
Britain’s opposition Labour Party has set out its general approach to Britain’s planned exit from the European Union as part of the country’s upcoming general election. The focus is on staying as closely tied to the EU’s single market as possible, and prioritising trade with the EU. “We believe in building a new relationship with …
