5 thoughts on Brexit from the 2019 Easter break

Red Queen and Alice: John Tenniel public domain

What have the UK and Switzerland agreed on trade post-Brexit?

Some interesting insights are in a Swiss government information sheet, prepared mainly for Swiss companies— February 5, revised February 11, 2019

The myth of a 10-year grace period, Brexit and trade talks with the EU

Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg was wrong about this but he’s never corrected his mistake, and the myth persists.

• What is the claim and why is it wrong? — December 27, 2018
• One last go. The Article 24 red herring in less than 400 words. Think ‘highway code’ — February 16, 2019

What’s really happening on tariff quotas and Britain’s WTO commitments?

Just as tariff quotas are complex and misunderstood, the same applies to the news that pops up from time to time of what’s happening to the UK’s quotas in its post-Brexit WTO commitments.

• So what’s really happening?
• And what comments have been received from organisations and other countries?
• Plus: A real beginners’ guide to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) and the WTO
— September 9 and 12, 2018

PRIMERS

The WTO and implications for the UK, EU, Brexit and international trade policy

Primary school kid by Bill Wegener on Unsplash CC0 Let’s keep this simple.

The World Trade Organization has seen a surge of interest because of Donald Trump’s trade policies and Brexit. Here are some explainers, including on the UK’s and EU’s relationship with the WTO.

What is the WTO? And is it undemocratic? — August 18, 2018
Introducing the WTO elephant and its dodgy health — December 17, 2017
“Do trade deals to escape the WTO.” So why bother with it? Using the WTO as a weapon is the worst possible way to get to know the trading system almost all of us rely on — February 7, 2019
Caught up in a war — the WTO and Brexit. What does leaving the EU “on WTO terms” mean? — April 6, 2019
A real beginners’ guide to tariffs and the WTO — July 28, 2018
A real beginners’ guide to tariff-rate quotas (TRQs) and the WTO — September 9, 2018
WTO membership — will the UK have to negotiate to re-join the WTO? (No) — October 7, 2017
What’s really happening on tariff quotas and Britain’s WTO commitments? — September 12, 2018, (Replaces older archived version: Tariff quotas — what are they and why have they suddenly become a hot issue? — October 7, 2017, updated November 21, 2017)
Standards, regulations and trade in goods — September 5, 2018
What are geographical indications? What do they mean for post-Brexit UK? — May 5, 2018, last update September 26, 2018

On Brexit

Brexit and WTO commitments

What’s really happening on tariff quotas and Britain’s WTO commitments? They are complex and misunderstood, and so is the news about them. Plus comments received from organisations and other countries — September 12, 2018
If the EU and UK fall back on WTO commitments what does this mean for services? — April 12, 2017, updated May 4, 2017
The limits of ‘possibility’: Splitting the lamb-mutton quota for the UK and EU–27 — January 6, 2017
The Hilton beef quota: a taste of what post-Brexit UK faces in the WTO. Exploring post-Brexit tariffs: part 1 — August 10, 2016
This EU tariff takes the biscuit. If Brexit manages to get rid of this EU monstrosity, it will indeed be an achievement. Plus a really nerdy look at annex 1. Exploring post-Brexit tariffs: part 2 — August 18, 2016
Oranges: a litmus test of UK post-Brexit tariff negotiations. Exploring post-Brexit tariffs: part 3 — September 10, 2016 (last updated August 27, 2017)
Second bite — how simple is the UK-WTO relationship post-Brexit? Much of the divergent opinion boils down to differing assumptions — August 17, 2016
Nothing simple about UK regaining WTO status post-Brexit — June 7, 2016

Brexit and WTO rules

The myth of a 10-year grace period, Brexit and trade talks with the EU — December 27, 2018; and One last go. The Article 24 red herring in less than 400 words. Think ‘highway code’ — February 16, 2019
How does the WTO’s Trade Facilitation Agreement really affect Brexit? — August 16, 2018
Does the WTO require countries to control their borders? No and yes — July 18, 2018
What WTO leadership means and where the UK would fit in — November 8, 2017;
and How to be a trade champion, a guide for busy politicians — November 21, 2017
The case of the two UK-EU ‘interim’ deals — is the one in the WTO really ‘Plan B’? — March 20, 2017
Why UK is already under WTO rules, and why that matters for Brexit — February 8, 2017
Is the UK government planning dodgy ‘access’ to the EU market? Proposed special deal with the EU on cars or banking could be illegal — August 29, 2016

UK and EU relations

Grandfathering EU free trade deals for the UK: a look at an actual text: It won’t be automatic — February 13, 2018
Types of a possible future UK-EU trade deal. By Alan Swinbank, Reading University — January 10, 2017
In a nutshell: Brexit and the UK’s trading relations with the EU. Five graphics summarising the four main options — September 19, 2016

Brexit generally

Five thoughts from the 2019 Easter break — Red Queen Theresa’s Race; Dishonesty and trade-offs; they ain’t seen nothing yet; is the Prime Minister the problem?; democracy and sovereignty weaponised — May 7, 2019
What have the UK and Switzerland agreed on trade post-Brexit? — February 5, 2019
If we’re to understand the Brexit talks, the media must do better than this — April 1, 2017
Alternative thinking: Out of the box for Brexit — and radically. “Don’t negotiate. Announce.” By Clemens Boonekamp — February 12, 2017
Six things I’ve learnt since the Brexit referendum: seeing both the wood and the trees — January 9, 2017
Three thoughts on the Brexit referendum. Toughest talks within the UK itself? Anyone for a ‘Swiss option’? Drug prices, bent bananas, TTIP — have the media missed a trick? — June 29, 2016

Presentations and evidence

Caught up in a war — the WTO and Brexit. What does leaving the EU ‘on WTO terms’ mean? A presentation for Chatham House on some of the implications — March 11, 2019. Published here, slightly modified, April 6, 2019
“Do trade deals to escape the WTO.” So why bother with it? A presentation for the “Westminster Workshop” on parliamentary oversight of trade agreements. Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, London — February 7, 2019
UK, EU & WTO. A presentation For LSE’s Executive Master in Public Administration programme — May 25, 2017
Questions on Brexit, agriculture, WTO schedules, standards, free trade agreements. For the UK House of Lords EU Energy and Environment Sub-Committee. With link to watch Alan Matthews and Joseph McMahon — February 9, 2017
Brexit, agriculture, the WTO, and uncertainty. For the UK House of Lords’ EU External Affairs Sub-Committee on Brexit — October 22, 2016