Concerns grow that foreign influence policy is misdirected, bureaucratic and risks deterring benign engagement and investment The UK’s proposed Foreign Influence Registration Scheme is part of a wider package of measures to revamp domestic espionage laws, in this instance via new obligations for a wide range of businesses, across all sectors, and others with international … Read more

The post below was first published on our Brexit blog. The dispute over the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland The Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland to the UK Withdrawal Agreement is proving hard to implement. The European Parliament Research Service has produced a useful summary. The UK government has even suggested reneging on it but pulled back following … Read more

As with the prospects for and then the reality of Brexit, the prospect of an independent Scotland raises the profile of questions on international trade for both politicians and business. In this briefing we take an initial look at some of the key trade issues. Read more

The post below was first published on our Competition blog The UK Government has a significant choice to make over the next few weeks: it has to decide on its approach to protecting national security in a changing global landscape, while maintaining the country’s appeal – built up over the last 40 years – as … Read more

The post below was first published on our Brexit blog There was time when trade negotiations were just about reducing tariffs and quotas. That was the purpose of GATT negotiating rounds and any tariff concession obtained by one contracting party had to be applied to all countries without discrimination. There were exceptions, in particular for … Read more

This post was first published on our Brexit Notes blog. Today, the UK Department for International Trade (DIT) published its proposed approach to the future relationship negotiations with the USA. It is anticipated that the negotiations between the two countries will begin this month. The talks will be led from the UK side by Crawford … Read more

This post was first published on our Brexit Notes blog. Following the UK’s departure as a Member State from the EU on 31 January 2020, the UK is now considering pursuing Free Trade Agreements (“FTAs”) with the EU and the rest of the world. Today, the Department for International Trade (“DIT”) outlined the UK Government’s … Read more

The post below was first published on our Brexit blog Brexit now seems inevitable on 31 January 2020 but that is only the beginning of the process of defining a new relationship between the UK and the EU. Serious negotiations on that relationship will only start thereafter, hopefully as soon as February. In this View … Read more