Trade Bites

Critical minerals are ‘critical’ to the manufacture of vital 21st century products as electric vehicles, mobile phones, solar panels, clean technology, and defence equipment. These mineral reserves are also found in considerable quantities outside of non-Western countries. China has been quick off the mark in building out the processing and manufacturing infrastructure that gives them supply chain dominance but creates risks of supply chain weaponisation. To reduce this dependency and risk, the UK, EU, US and others have all developed different approaches to securing access to these supply chains. In this podcast, we explore what some of these approaches are, their pros and cons, and what considerations must inform sustained global cooperation on critical minerals. Joining our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex) are Sunayana Sasmal (UKTPO / University of Sussex), Dan Marks (Royal United Services Institute) and Tim Figures (Boston Consulting Group).

In January, Trump threatened to impose tariffs on eight European countries who opposed his demand to take control of Greenland. Whilst this threat was later dropped, following discussions with NATO SC, what is the role of trade policy in the face of economic coercion? This podcast discusses the use of trade policy instruments in a coercive manner, the issues hanging over EU-US and UK-US trade relations, and where this positions the UK and the international rules-based trading system. Joining our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex) are Emily Lydgate (CITP), Allie Renison (SEC Newgate) and David Henig (ECIPE).

This episode of Trade Bites looks at competition and industrial policy. China's strong industrial policies and state-backed dominance have fuelled global competition. Recently, this has led to the US, Europe and developed countries, including the UK, implementing much more activist industrial policies to support their own producers and to ensure supplies of strategically important goods. Is a level playing field a luxury that we can no longer afford in these days of geopolitical contention, or is the pendulum swinging too far away from notions of open competition? To discuss these important points are Aditi Sara Verghese (World Economic Forum), Anne-Claire Hoyng (Prosus), Peter Holmes (UKTPO, University of Sussex) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).

In today's episode of Trade Bites, we're discussing the Pan-Euro Mediterranean Convention on Rules of Origin (PEM) and whether the UK should join. The PEM makes it easier for UK firms to use inputs from the PEM countries and still get duty free access to the EU, and all the other PEM countries. Having left the EU, the UK is not part of the PEM. The UK Government has launched a consultation on whether or not the UK should accede. Would joining make trade easier for all our manufacturing businesses, or are there any downsides? Would it really make that much difference? And will other nations support the UK’s application if it does decide to apply to join PEM. It turns out the answers are not so straightforward. Listen to the podcast for straight talking (as opposed to straightforward) explanation with Michael Gasiorek (CITP), Anna Jerzewska (DSV / EuroCommerce), Alessandro Marongiu (SMMT) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).

What does the British public think about trade? In a democracy, what people think or feel about any area of policy really matters. Trade policy is an external wing of economic policy, and everyone cares about whether the government's actions are making them richer or poorer, but we also care about how trade is interlinked with climate change, the environment, food standards, or animal welfare. In this episode, our speakers provide insights and analysis on what the public thinks about trade, how we know what the public thinks and whether their views are listened to. With Alan Winters (CITP), George Holt (Trade Justice Movement), Liam Campling (Queen Mary University London) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).

In this special extended episode, recorded in front of a live audience at the World Trade Organization Public Forum, we consider the present state of the multilateral trading system and the role of the WTO. The majority of international trade, around 72%, is being conducting on WTO terms. But pretty much every nation has had to face the consequences of a unilateral withdrawal from Most Favoured Nation principals by the world’s biggest economy: the US. This challenge from Washington is only the latest in a string of issues to confront the WTO, which has only ratified two multilateral agreements in 30 years, and hasn’t had a functioning Appellate Body to underpin the enforcement of multilateral trade rules for the last six years. How should WTO members respond? Should the rules be upheld, or do they need changing? To discuss these questions and those from our live audience are H.E Guilherme de Aguiar Patriota (WTO), Kelly Ann Shaw (AKIN), Mona Paulsen (London School of Economics) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).

This podcast discusses conformity assessment which is important to ensure manufacturers of industrial goods comply with international standards, and that compliance is verified. The issue of mutual recognition of conformity assessment comes into play for exports. If country A recognizes that country B's conformity assessment regime is as good as its own, then exporters in country B should only have to pay once for their products to be evaluated before they can export to the other country, thus saving them money. The UK currently has mutual recognition agreements, with a number of countries, but not with the UK's biggest export market - the EU - even though the UK was a full participant in the EU conformity Assessment Regime up until Brexit. What are the prospects for a UK-EU agreement on conformity assessment? What are the barriers to this and how much does this impact EU-UK trade? Sharing their perspectives are Richard Collin (UKAS), Peter Holmes (UKTPO, University of Sussex), Jacques Pelkmans (CEPS), Fergus McReynolds (Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).

July 20, 2025, is six months since Trump’s inauguration for a second term in the White House. Since then, all previous norms of trade engagement have gone out of the window with the imposition (or threat) of tariffs on goods at rather arbitrary levels and out of line with WTO rules. Almost every supplier country now has its own personalised tariff rate – and some of the world’s least developed countries face the highest tariffs. In this episode, Meredith Crowley (CITP/University of Cambridge), Stephanie Rickard (London School of Economics), Chad Bown (Peterson Institute for International Economics) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex) discuss what Trump might be trying to achieve with these measures. They also analyse the impact on America’s trading partners – and the global trading system – and how both may react to these challenges from Washington.

In May, Keir Starmer and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen launched a reset of the EU-UK relationship which included an agreement to begin negotiations on a deal on agri-food standards - an ‘SPS agreement’. The talks offer the prospect of a big reduction in the bureaucratic restrictions that have festooned cross-Channel agri-food trade since Brexit, but there are still a lot of questions about exactly how. In this podcast, Emily Lydgate (CITP, University of Sussex), Alex Carson-Taylor (international trade specialist), Sue Davies (Which?) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex) discuss the potential limitations inherent in the approach which London and Brussels have embarked on, the pitfalls that the negotiators might need to avoid, what it all means for Northern Ireland trade and the prospects for agri-food deals with other countries.

Last month, Britain thus became the first trade partner to do a deal with the new Trump administration. The deal was limited in its scope - but nevertheless highly significant, given that Trump has hitherto been keener on imposing tariffs than removing them. Britain won some exemptions from new US tariffs on cars and steel, while the US will be granted new access to the UK’s agricultural markets. And there will be more to come in other sectors. Is this the start of a whole new economic relationship between the UK and the US. To discuss the pros and cons of the deal and what this means for other countries are Emily Lydgate (CITP/UKTPO, University of Sussex), Chris Southworth (ICC United Kingdom), Dmitry Grozoubinski (ExplainTrade), and hosted by Chris Horseman (Borderlex).

Steel is needed to manufacture everything from aircraft carriers to ironing boards. It is critical for construction and defence and contributes significantly to the national economy. But many countries can produce steel much more cheaply than the UK – notably China, which accounts for more than 50% of global steel production. Plus, the market is distorted by many factors, notably Chinese state production subsidies and US tariffs on imports and then there is the impact of Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanisms on production and global supply chains. Where does this leave British Steel? To what extent should the UK government protect its steel sector in the interests of strategic autonomy, and of keeping the industry afloat? And do recent UK trade agreements make any material difference to our ability to buy and sell steel? Joining our host, Chris Horseman (Borderlex), to unpack this are Chrysa Glystra (UK Steel) and Mattia Di Ubaldo (CITP/University of Sussex).

The US has re-set its tariffs on goods imports according to a formula based on the size of that country’s trade surplus with the US – a move which has thrown all previous norms out the window. We are no longer in a world where tariffs and other aspects of trade policy are negotiated multilaterally – with the World Trade Organization as chief overseer. So where do recent developments leave the global trading system? Is the WTO, and the rules-based system that it oversees, now dead? Joining our host, Chris Horseman (Borderlex), to discuss these issues are Jennifer Hillman (Georgetown University Law Center), L. Alan Winters (CITP/ University of Sussex) and Farisa Zarin (Standard Chartered Bank).

This podcast looks at the recently concluded UK-India free trade agreement deal and the impact for UK exporters now that India’s high tariffs on goods like cars and Scotch whisky will be reduced, and that British businesses will be able to bid for some Indian government contracts for the first time. For India, the UK will remove most of its tariffs on Indian goods, and it will be a little easier for Indian professionals to come and work in Britain. But who gets the better deal out of this agreement? What are the political, economic and social implications of the deal for each party? And given the rather chaotic state of international trade at present, will the UK-India deal perhaps be part of a new wave of agreements to shore up existing bilateral trade flows? Joining Chris Horseman are Amrita Saha (IDS/University of Sussex), Abhijit Das (independent trade policy expert/former Centre for WTO Studies), Achyuth Anil (CITP/University of Sussex) and Emily Weaver Roads (Scotch Whisky Association).

When long-established international trade flows get disrupted, it's not always easy to predict the consequences. Given the adjustments that the UK is continuing to have to make as a result of leaving the EU single market a few years ago, and now President Trump’s global 25% tariff surcharge on imports of cars and components, the challenges are starting to pile up for Britain's automotive sector. How will exporters be affected by Trump’s tariffs, how should the British Government and British carmakers respond and what are the prospects for deepening and expanding trade with other countries around the world, especially in regards to raw materials? Joining our host, Chris Horseman (Borderlex), to discuss these issues are Emanuel Adam (British American Business), Ian Henry (AutoAnalysis) and Richard Gard (Nissan).

The real growth area for trade is in digitally-delivered services. But where there is trade, there is trade regulation. If countries regulate in ways which diverge from each other, then there are digital borders. This podcast discusses how a more streamlined and efficient digital trade environment could be created, why different countries have different regulations, and the prospects of a digital trade deal between the UK and US. Joining our presenter, Chris Horseman are: • Javier Ruiz Diaz, a freelance digital policy consultant • Anupam Chander, the Scott K. Ginsburg Professor of Law and Technology at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. • Lorna Woods, Professor of Internet Law at the University of Essex

There are now twelve new style freeports in the UK, set up under the previous Conservative government which was convinced that freeports would represent a major Brexit dividend for Britain. There are also eight regional investment zones in the UK with the promise of more to come. This podcast puts investment zones and freeports under an analytical lens to determine what they are and how they work. It investigates whether they make sense as a way of kick-starting economic activity and driving trade-based growth or whether we should be concerned about the idea of favouring some regions of the country over others; and is there any evidence that these investment zones and freeports are actually making a positive difference? Joining our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex) are Steve Fothergill (Industrial Communities Alliance/Sheffield Hallam University), Peter Holmes (University of Sussex/UKTPO), Anna Jerzewska (Trade & Borders) and Kevin McKenzie (Plymouth City Council).

Industrial policy is coming to dominate the global trade landscape and is massively important in political and economic terms as well. Today, as the world becomes a more geopolitically fractured place, governments are taking a very close interest in their manufacturing sectors to ensure they are attracting the investment that will allow them to hold the keys to a green economy of the future. It's a big shift away from the concept of a global open marketplace which for so many years seemed to be the direction of travel. But is it sustainable, how much help does industry need to be able to produce the things that people want to buy, and where do we draw the line between investing in national economic security and good old-fashioned protectionism? Joining Chris Horseman (Borderlex) are Minako Morita-Jaeger (CITP) and Allie Renison (SEC Newgate).

Next week, Americans will go to the polls and a new President will be elected. This podcast looks at the trade policy proposal of one candidate, the Republican Donald Trump, to put flat-rate tariffs of up to 20% on all US imports and a 60% tariff on all Chinese imports. What would the impact be on US businesses and consumers? Which sectors are set to be most affected? What would such tariffs mean for transatlantic and global trade? Do they have popular support in the US? Providing forensic insight into all these questions are Nicolò Tamberi (CITP) and Rodney Ludema (Georgetown University), together with our host Chris Horseman.

The Labour Party promised to re-set the relationship between the UK and the EU. Now that it’s been in government for a few months - what has changed? With the new government seeing opportunities in working more collaboratively with its EU partners – on defence and security, but also on the nuts and bolts of our trade relationship - there’s undoubtedly been a change of tone. Our panellists on this podcast discuss whether the UK’s agenda for closer trade ties with the EU is realistic, consider the EU’s position and appetite for trade negotiations with the UK and analyse the political commitments that will be required on both sides. Joining Chris Horseman on this episode are David Henig (ECIPE), Viviane Gravey (Queen’s University Belfast/CITP) and Ignacio Garcia Bercero (Bruegel/European Commission).

Trade professionals at the WTO Public Forum provide their thoughts on one of the big issues confronting trade policy – inclusiveness. How can we ensure that the benefits and economic gains of international trade are shared as widely and as fully as possible? Does the WTO function in a way that benefits developing countries as much as richer countries? Listen to contributions from a wide range of individuals including Ralph Ossa, WTO: Anabel Gonzalez, IDB; Tahira Nasim, Scottish Development International; and more…