‘Taking back control’ of UK waters was a recurring theme of debates about leaving the European Union. Yet for some in the fishing industry, the immediate aftermath has been severe challenges in accessing key markets. These could be the forerunner of Brexit disruptions to other sectors. Recent weeks have seen key parts of the UK’s […]
Category: Trade & supply chains
Northern Ireland and Great Britain have long been a single highly integrated internal market. With Brexit and a new Protocol to ensure no hard border on the island of Ireland, the UK’s internal market is disrupted, creating complications around taxes, tariffs and regulatory compliance. Nineteenth-century Prussian chief of the general staff Helmuth von Moltke declared, […]
The new trading arrangements between the UK and the European Union have led to big disruptions for many businesses in Wales, particularly those in sectors that previously depended on seamless border processes, such as agriculture, automotive and aerospace. New trading arrangements between the UK and the European Union (EU) are now in place as part […]
Following the invasion of Ukraine, Western sanctions have targeted Russia’s trade, companies, individuals and financial sector. The measures, which are far more wide-ranging than those following the annexation of Crimea in 2014, raise big legal and economic issues for the world trading system. The war in Ukraine is now in its seventh week. The Russian […]
Volumes of trade through major Welsh ferry ports were temporarily reduced by the pandemic. But for some ports, leaving the European Union has had a bigger negative impact as freight companies redirect to avoid the ‘landbridge’ to Europe through the UK. Ports in Wales have experienced great change over the past 18 months, not only […]
The pandemic and the UK’s departure from the European Union present twin challenges for domestic firms engaged in exporting and importing. The extent to which they adapt their product mixes in response to changing economic conditions shapes trade and output growth. Firm-level decisions in response to shocks like coronavirus play a key role in determining […]
Brexit has happened – but the nature of the UK’s future economic and political relationship with the European Union is yet to be determined. There is a strong case for extending the transition period to allow both sides to focus on dealing with the Covid-19 crisis. The UK left the European Union (EU) on 31 […]
The Great Recession of 2008/09 seems to have broken the link between recessions and higher barriers to imports. During the coronavirus crisis, new forms of protectionism, such as export controls and trade-distorting stimulus programmes pose a more serious risk to unfettered trade. The Covid-19 pandemic is forecast to reduce global economic output and world trade […]
The economy is characterised by intricate linkages between consumers, businesses and sectors across national and global supply chains. Production network analysis provides insights into the effects of imposing and lifting lockdowns – and policies to support recovery. Covid-19 is a global shock but the implications for different sectors vary greatly in what is an increasingly […]
In the five years since the Brexit referendum, the share of the UK’s exports invoiced in pounds has declined, while invoicing in US dollars has grown significantly. Such changes matter for the competitiveness of UK exporters, particularly if there are sudden shifts in currency values. An important change has been taking place in the UK’s […]