UK Trade Policy Project

About the UK Trade Policy Project

The UK is now a trade policy laboratory. When it leaves the EU, it will be the first time in a generation that a major global economy develops and implements a trade policy almost from scratch.

ECIPE’s response to these developments is the UK Trade Policy Project, which brings global expertise and best policy practice to the debate about the UK’s future trade relations. It aims to make substantial contributions to the design and delivery of the UK’s global trade policy, and propose effective solutions to known and future challenges.

While the UK’s future relationship with the EU may limit the scope of trade policy, it still represents one of the largest challenges any country has faced in trade policy for many years. The challenge becomes even greater when set against growing economic nationalism and other sentiments hostile to international trade.

The Project neither takes a stand on Brexit nor supports a specific idea of the exact relationship between Britain and the EU. Rather it is focused on establishing good institutions for trade policy and providing ideas in areas such as digital openness, regulatory cooperation, agriculture, and the circular economy.

The UK Trade Policy Project is led by David Henig.