The UK Trade and Business Commission considers how best Britain can organise its future trade policy. Creating an independent Board of Trade will provide clarity to British policy and allow the United Kingdom to seize opportunities as they arise.

On 27th November 2023, the UK Trade and Business Commission team went on a site visit to FreshLinc haulage and logistics in Spalding, Lincolnshire.

The challenges of not being aligned with the EU in relation to CBAM, and consequently paying a high price for embedded carbon in exports to the EU, may become more apparent as the implementation process gathers pace.

This publication is split into two halves. The first covers the trade benefits of regulatory alignment with the EU, whilst the second is concerned with understand the road ahead for negotiating a Youth Mobility Scheme with the EU.

This report is a product of the extensive work we have undertaken and the valuable insights gained have culminated in the development of 114 actionable recommendations. These recommendations are designed to enhance the UK’s trading relationships, foster business growth, and navigate through the current challenging landscape.

This publication explores the important lessons that the UK must learn from Brexit trade negotiations. In particular the report highlights the importance of adapting to an ever changing global trade landscape.

This publication examines the issues faced by the UK in employment. In particular this report examines the benefits of importing labour and investing in existing labour to manage existing shortages in workers and skills. The report also takes a broader perspective on Foreign Direct Investment into the UK.

This report explores the impact of Brexit on the British healthcare sector. In particular this publication focuses on the negative impact of Brexit on workforce availability and concerns regarding both regulatory and administrative burdens.

This publication examines the impact that Brexit has had on devolution and regional inequalities in the United Kingdom. Brexit has affected all region’s of the UK in a unique manner and the UKTBC found that regional contexts must be taken into account for future trade deals to address these issues.

This session covered environmental and standards protection policies as well as an overall strategy for how they can be a key part of trade negotiations. In particular this report the benefits of trade deals for entrenching aligned regulations with our biggest trade partners.

The agricultural sector faces significant challenges following the UK’s exit from the European Union. From workforce shortages to administrative challenges, many farmers and fisheries are experiencing ongoing down turns in profit and trade.

The UKTBC found that the financial sector is facing unprecedented regulatory uncertainty and furthermore is being undermined by a workers and skills shortage. The UKTBC further highlight the significance of these shortcomings given the importance of the financial sector to the UK economy as a whole.

The UKTBC explored how best to design a framework for future trade deals. The key findings focused on the importance of building a coherent environmental and industrial strategy. In particular, the report advocates for an increase in dialogue between government, businesses and civil society.

Arts and culture is a cornerstone in the UK’s global influence and soft power but creative industries have been badly impacted in the aftermath of Brexit. As the government pursues new international trade deals, the UK Trade and Business Commission took evidence on the current economic challenges facing the creative sectors and what is required in future trade deals to ensure the UK's cultural sector thrives. 

Manufacturing and construction is a critical aspect of the UK’s economy and social patchwork. The sector has been undermined in recent years by labour shortages, increased costs and red tape, and low levels of investment.

For the arts and travel industries the UKTBC identified specific issues regarding labour mobility, red tape, and administrative burdens. All of these issues were found to have a substantial economic, cultural and social cost.

The UK Trade and Business Commission has taken evidence on several occasions from a wide range of stakeholders on the Northern Ireland Protocol. This involved the Commission making a visit to Belfast in March 2022. In June 2022, the UK Government introduced a 'Northern Ireland Protocol Bill' proposing significant unilateral changes to existing agreements between the UK and EU.

The UK Trade and Business Commission considers areas of food policy which the UK should prioritise; the issues that the UK Government need to fix in order to relieve the pressures of the cost of living crisis; and how UK agriculture can be better supported.

Co-Convenors of the UK Trade and Business Commission Hilary Benn MP and Peter Norris led a delegation to Kent on Monday 16th May.

The Commission has taken evidence from business owners, politicians, trade associations and academics from all parts of the United Kingdom, as well as from those in the international community with UK interests.