Welcome to the UK Trade Policy Observatory

Latest Briefing Papers

Our Briefing Papers provide a unique analysis of various elements of trade policy in the post-Brexit era.

Briefing Paper 84 - Trade and illegal labour: a new paradigm?

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Trade policy animated videos

Our animated videos help to explain the effects of trade policy. This video explains direct and indirect ways of trading services internationally, and looks at the implications for trade policy, particularly trade agreements.

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November 25th, 2016

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Share this article: 25 October 2024 – Erika Szyszczak is a Professor Emerita and a Fellow of the UKTPO. Will Disney is a sustainability researcher and independent consultant. The European Union is using trade measures to achieve a host of policies – climate change, human rights, labour standards – but for one policy area the EU has been hit by a global backlash. Voices within and outside of the EU are calling for a delay, and a re-appraisal, of its ground-breaking anti-deforestation Regulation which came into force on 29 June 2023. The EU has been forced to consider delaying the implementation of the Regulation by 12 months (until 30 December 2025) for large operators and traders. It has also been delayed for micro and small enterprises: until 30 June 2026. The Regulation aims to promote ‘deforestation-free’ products and reduce the EU’s impact on global deforestation and forest degradation, as part… Read More

October 25th, 2024

Posted In: UK- EU

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Share this article: BRIEFING PAPER 84 – OCTOBER 2024 ERIKA SZYSZCZAK Key points Introduction Forced Labour Regulation The corporate sustainability due diligence directive Paradigm shift: blurring the state/public duty to protect rights and private responsibility Complementary Approaches Conclusion Footnotes KEY POINTS Two EU measures, the Forced Labour Regulation (FLR) and the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) focus on how goods and services enter global supply chains. These measures complement established human rights and criminal responsibility norms in tackling the use of illegal labour in supply chains. The FLR and CSDDD are part of the EU Open Strategic Autonomy (OSA) and aim to identify risks and protect the integrity of supply chains. The measures are a mix of EU trade considerations and EU fundamental rights values. The FLR and CSDDD create new legal obligations, new processes, and new remedies to combat the use of illegal labour in supply chains. The… Read More

October 14th, 2024

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Share this article: 04 October 2024 – Peter Holmes is a Fellow of the UK Trade Policy Observatory and Emeritus Reader in Economics at the University of Sussex Business School. The 2024 World Trade Organization (WTO) Public Forum was sure to be a fascinating occasion given the interest in the topic, inclusivity and green trade, and the stellar cast of speakers. But what of the future of the WTO itself? Many observers have come to feel that with the negotiating function and the Appellate Body (AB) both log-jammed, there wasn’t much for the WTO to do apart from hosting events like the Public Forum. Despite the logjam in negotiations and the apparent death (certainly more than a very deep sleep) of the Appellate Body, the WTO is still delivering value to its members in its routine committee work. It continues to promote transparency etc, and Dispute Settlement Panels still operate,… Read More

October 4th, 2024

Posted In: UK - Non EU, UK- EU

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