Finance & Trade

EU Countries Seek UK Concessions for Market Access

August 09, 2016

A Bloomberg profile of the "red lines" countries have stated they will not cross in permitting the UK to maintain access to the EU's "single market," including maintaining the principle of free movement of labor, demonstrates a potentially complex, country-by-country approach the UK would have to take in negotiating a post-Brexit trade deal with the bloc.
Expert: EU Will Insist on Free Movement in UK Trade Deal

August 09, 2016

The Guardian reports that former EU Ambassador to the World Trade Organization, Roderick Abbott, has predicted that the EU and UK will sign a post-Brexit trade deal within two years but that the bloc will likely not accept limits to free movement of labor in exchange for Britain's access to the EU "single market."
Minford: UK Should Ditch Plans for EU Trade Deal

August 05, 2016

Professor Patrick Minford of Cardiff University asserts that the UK's policy on leaving the EU should be to expand its economy by signing free trade deals with all other countries, unilaterally reducing its tariffs, and walking away from the EU without wasting time on attempting to negotiate a trade deal with the inflexible bloc.
EU Official Warns of Potential CETA Failure

August 02, 2016

Politico reports that EU Director-General for Trade Jean-Luc Demarty warned at a meeting of the bloc's trade policy committee that EU trade policy would lose credibility and be "close to death" if national parliaments did not ratify the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement that EU authorities negotiated with Canada.
Frost Sees Large Role for UK Trade Secretary

July 28, 2016

David Frost writes in The Telegraph that, while newly appointed UK Secretary for International Trade Liam Fox has no formal authority yet to negotiate trade deals outside the EU, he will have an outsize role in the coming years in building the international trade department and launching informal talks on post-Brexit free trade deals with countries around the world.
EU Official: Bonus Cap Burdens Small Firms

July 28, 2016

European Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova has asserted that EU rules limiting the bonuses granted to bankers are working to reduce risks in the EU financial sector, but warned that the rules are at times disproportionate and can be "burdensome" to small lenders.
Ruparel Offers Post-Brexit UK Trade Priorities

July 27, 2016

Raoul Ruparel of Open Europe has published a proposed roadmap for British free trade deals as the country negotiates its exit from the EU, calling on the UK government to consider securing free trade deals with the EU and with countries that currently have trade agreements with the EU its top priorities.
Kerry: Informal UK-US Trade Talks Are Possible

July 22, 2016

At a press conference, while tamping down expectations of formal trade talks between the US and UK before the completion of Britain's exit from the EU, US Secretary of State John Kerry said the countries "can begin to pencil things in" on such a deal prior to Brexit.
Australia Seeks Post-Brexit UK Trade Deal

July 20, 2016

The BBC reports that, as the British Government investigates opportunities to create "about a dozen free trade deals" following the country's exit from the EU, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull recently announced to new UK Prime Minister Theresa May his interest in such a deal.
CETA Hurdles Show EU Protectionism

July 20, 2016

An article in The Economist discusses how the European Commission's decision to require the approval of national and regional parliaments to bring into force the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement with Canada demonstrates growing trade protectionism within the EU and signals danger for future, more controversial trade agreements with the bloc.