In this Briefing Paper, Ian Henry explains how policy has shaped the choices made by EV producers, a matter that has become particularly relevant following the increased government intervention in the industry in the US, the EU and China. Read Briefing Paper 82 – TRADE POLICY AND THE PRODUCTION OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES

In this Briefing Paper, Michael Gasiorek, Justyna A. Robinson, Rhys Sandow assess the views expressed by those who responded to the Labour Party’s 2023 national consultation on UK trade policy. Read Briefing Paper 81 –LABOUR’S PROGRESSIVE TRADE POLICY: CONSULTATIONS AND POLICY FORMULATION

In this Briefing Paper, Ruby Acquah, Mattia Di Ubaldo, Michael Gasiorek introduce a set of new indices that capture the regulatory obligations for products exported to the EU’s Single Market, and provide a background discussion of product regulations and directives and their impact on international trade. Read Briefing paper 80: REGULATORY INTENSITY AND THE EU SINGLE MARKET: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE UK.

In this Briefing Paper, Sunayana Sasmal analyses the contribution of multilateral trade rules and recent strategic partnerships, and stresses the importance of moving away from recent fragmented approaches,  in favour of enhanced multilateral cooperation. Read Briefing Paper 79: THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CRITICAL RAW MATERIALS, THE WTO AND ‘STRATEGIC’ PARTNERSHIPS.

In this Briefing Paper, Ana Peres analyses the latest WTO Ministerial Conference (MC13) outcomes and discusses why the WTO may need to rethink its identity. Read Briefing Paper 78: REFLECTIONS ON MC13: THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE WTO.

In this Briefing Paper, Nicolò Tamberi analyses literature on international trade and economic growth and provides a quick guide for policymakers on trade and growth. Trade policy is not the only tool, or the main one, to address economic growth. However, it clearly has a role to play both directly and indirectly, because inappropriate trade policy can render other growth-focused policies less effective. Read Briefing Paper 77: TRADE AND GROWTH.

In this Briefing Paper, Erika Szyszczak, UKTPO Fellow and Professor Emerita of Law at the University of Sussex, offers an in-depth analysis of the Open Strategic Autonomy (OSA) policy. The EU continues to argue for multilateralism and a rules-based international order yet the effect of many of these measures could infringe international law and weaken the already perilous international legal order Read Briefing Paper 76: OPEN STRATEGIC AUTONOMY AS EU TRADE POLICY.

In this Briefing Paper, its authors consider the potential economic opportunities for the UK arising from the current CPTPP in comparison with the likelihood of further expansion in the future. They evaluate the UK’s economic opportunities with both current and potential CPTPP members, including trade in goods, trade in services, supply chain relationships and rules of origin. They also compare the CPTPP’s policies, with those of current and potential CPTPP members and explain why the UK Government should develop and articulate a strategic plan based on the political reality surrounding the CPTPP. Read Briefing Paper 75: JOINING THE CPTPP: ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES AND POLITICAL DILEMMAS OF FUTURE EXPANSIONS FOR THE UK.

This year, the UK Government will replace its current preferential trading scheme for low and lower-middle income countries with the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). This Briefing Paper looks at and evaluates two key changes in the DCTS: changes in the eligibility criteria for the Enhanced Preferences sub-scheme, and changes in the rules of origin to use preferences under the Comprehensive Preferences sub-scheme offered to Least Developed Countries (LDCs). Using a novel RoOs Restrictiveness Index, the authors find that the RoOs under the DCTS are, on average, less restrictive than those under the former scheme. They also conclude that most benefits are likely to be accrued by LDCs both in the short and long term due to more lenient rules of origin, extended cumulation rules, and being eligible for the Enhanced DCTS if they graduate from LDC status. Read Briefing Paper 74: THE UK’S NEW (AND IMPROVED?) DEVELOPING COUNTRIES TRADING SCHEME

New analysis presented in our Briefing Paper, The challenges facing UK firms: Trade and supply chains reveals that UK businesses are struggling with increased costs, labour and skill issues and supply shortages following the UK’s departure from the European Union. The authors of the Briefing Paper analysed over 2,800 responses to three surveys issued by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), to help produce a long-term perspective on the challenges facing UK businesses. They examine the main challenges and opportunities reported by businesses over 2021 and 2022 and two specific trade-related areas. The first is on the difficulties and advantages for businesses arising from the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA). The second is on supply chain challenges. The results show that as a result of the TCA, UK businesses are reporting significant difficulties and disadvantages, including increased red tape, bureaucracy and costs as well as shipping and transport issues. Such increases inevitably lead to both shortages of products and rises in prices for the UK public. Read Briefing Paper 73: THE CHALLENGES FACING UK FIRMS: TRADE AND SUPPLY CHAINS