2 October 2020

The UKTPO held its third annual conference on Tuesday 15 and Wednesday 16 September. The conference, under the theme ‘World Trade Policy: Back to the Future?’, addressed two of the most important issues in trade policy today.

Three presentations explored aspects of the as yet unknown UK trading regime after the end of the transition period, including the impact of uncertainty, the effect of tariff reversals, and the political economy of protection, respectively. Secondly, trade in the 21st century is ever more intertwined with other areas of public policy and, this year, two sessions explored the links between trade and the environment. Lastly, the conference concluded with a Roundtable discussion on trade and economic cohesion in the UK after Brexit.

At the close of the conference, Professor L. Alan Winters announced that he was stepping down as director of the UKTPO. Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Sussex, led a tribute to Prof Winters and the work of the UKTPO.

Watch the recordings of the sessions below:

Session One: Firm Export Responses to Tariff Hikes

Presenter: Facundo Albornoz Crespo, University of Nottingham

Discussant: Ingo Borchert, University of Sussex and UKTPO

Chair: Michael Gasiorek, University of Sussex and UKTPO

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Session Two: Dynamic benchmarking: foundation for a new generation of Trade, Environment and Climate Agreements?

Presenter: Emily Lydgate, University of Sussex and UKTPO

Discussant: Stephanie Switzer, Strathclyde Law School

Chair: Femi Amao, University of Sussex

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Session Three: Chatham House Special Session – Trade and Climate Change in the context of COP26

Panellists: Jodie Keane, Overseas Development Institute; Rohinton P. Medhora, Centre for International Governance Innovation

Chair: Creon Butler, Chatham House

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Session Four: Impact of Brexit Uncertainty on UK trade after the Referendum

Presenter: Michael Gasiorek, University of Sussex and UKTPO

Discussant: Bernard Hoekman, European University Institute

Chair: Ingo Borchert, University of Sussex and UKTPO

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Session Five: The political economy of protection in GVCs: Evidence from Chinese micro data

Presenter: Anna Maria Mayda, Georgetown University

Discussant: Mattia Di Ubaldo, University of Sussex and UKTPO

Chair: Alasdair Smith, University of Sussex and UKTPO

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Session Six: Roundtable Discussion – Trade and Economic Cohesion after Brexit

Panellists:
Dr Katy Hayward, Queen’s University Belfast
Professor Anand Menon, King’s College London
Professor Graeme Roy, University of Strathclyde and Fraser of Allander Institute
Dr Thomas Sampson, London School of Economics

Chair: Professor L. Alan Winters, CB, Director, UKTPO, University of Sussex

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Conclusion: Tribute to L. Alan Winters and the Future of UKTPO

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