Trade Bites

Epizodes

• 
  Brexit – 10 years on 17.06.2026 37min

  In this episode, we're reflecting on the Brexit referendum that happened 10 years ago this month and changed the UK's trade policy trajectory overnight. Our speakers examine how Brexit affected UK trade and UK attitudes to trade, as well as the approach to and the outcomes of autonomous UK trade policy. The discussion also considers the future and where Britain may go next as it navigates a chaotic international policy landscape, and how that positions the UK for the trade policies of the future. Joining our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex) are Emily Lydgate (CITP), Ignacio García Bercero (Bruegel), Anand Menon (UK in a Changing Europe) and Allie Renison (SEC Newgate).
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  Regional representation in trade policy 03.06.2026 39min

  In this podcast, we examine the regional dimensions of UK trade policy. Trade affects everyone in every part of the United Kingdom, and the primary responsibility for external trade policy lies with the central UK government in London. However, a lot of the policy areas that are directly affected by trade, most notably agriculture, are controlled by the devolved administrations in Belfast, Cardiff, and Edinburgh. So how does this all fit together? How much say do Northern Ireland and our newly elected devolved governments in Wales and Scotland have over UK trade policy? How does devolution work for trade? To address these questions, are David Barnes (Scottish Government), Alexander Fitzpatrick (QUB / CITP / Wales Governance Centre), Lindsey Garner-Knapp (CITP / University of Sussex), Andrea Begley (Department for the Economy NI) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).
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  WTO Ministerial Conference and developing countries in Africa 20.05.2026 40min

  What did MC14 deliver for developing countries in Africa? In this episode, His Excellency Geraldo Saranga, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Mozambique to the WTO and His Excellency Ambassador Professor Muhammadou Kah, Ambassador of The Republic of the Gambia to the WTO, share their views on the outcomes of the 2026 WTO Ministerial Conference. To what extent was the MC14 agenda really aligned with African governments' priorities? And what needs to happen to achieve an international trading system which works in the interests of developing countries in Africa? Hosted by Chris Horseman (Borderlex).
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  The impact of US tariffs on the world 30.04.2026 36min

  The US Government has put tariffs front and centre of its economic policy since Trump's second administration began at the start of last year. After implementing tariffs in April 2025, the US has subsequently raised and lowered tariffs and negotiated exemptions and add-ons for different countries and different sectors. In February this year, the implementation of the ‘Liberation Day’ reciprocal tariffs was ruled illegal by the US Supreme Court, and a flat rate tariff of 10% was applied under different legal act. In this podcast, we discuss the net result of these past 12 turbulent months, looking at how trade has responded to the tariffs and the potential longer-term effects of tariffs to the world trading system. To address these questions, are Jun Du (Aston Business School / Centre for Business Prosperity), Emanuel Adam (BritishAmerican Business), Tim Figures (Boston Consulting Group) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).
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  Do trade deficits matter? 15.04.2026 30min

  President Trump’s keen concern for the US’s substantial trade deficit with the rest of the world played a key role in driving the US tariffs imposed last year, which have disrupted trade and upended the international rules-based trade system. In this episode we ask why is Trump so concerned by a trade deficit, how worried should a country be if it is importing more than it exports, what are the economics that underpin the international trade balance sheet, and how much does it matter? To discuss these questions, are Alasdair Smith (CITP / UKTPO / University of Sussex), Soumaya Keynes (Financial Times), Neil Shearing (Capital Economics) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).
• 
  World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference (MC14) 01.04.2026 35min

  In today's episode, we examine the result of the World Trade Organization's recent ministerial conference in Cameroon, MC14. It ended with no agreement on WTO reform, and no agreement either to continue a long-standing moratorium on imposing import duties on electronic transmissions. Where does MC14 leave the WTO as an organization? Joining this discussion with our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex) are Ana Peres (UKTPO / University of Sussex), Dmitry Grozoubinski (ExplainTrade) and Marco Molina (Molina & Associates).
• 
  Customs union membership between the EU and the UK 11.03.2026 44min

  In this episode, we look at proposals for the UK to join a customs union with the EU. We clarify what is a customs union and discuss whether could it improve trade between the EU and the UK and boost to our economy, as well as what the EU’s position might be. Providing a clear assessment of the pros and cons of customs union membership between the EU and the UK are Michael Gasiorek (CITP / University of Sussex), Richard Rumbelow (Make UK), Anton Spisak (Centre for European Reform) and our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex).
• 
  Progress on the EU-UK reset 25.02.2026 40min

  This episode discusses the reset package under negotiation between the UK and the EU. Last May, the two sides agreed to align their regulatory systems in a number of sectors, aimed at minimising friction at the border, and thereby stimulating bilateral trade. It will include regulatory alignment for agriculture and food products, linking of emissions trading schemes, integration of the EU and UK electricity markets, and a youth mobility scheme. The trick is making these outcomes happen through detailed negotiations on regulatory policy. Eight months on from the summit meeting, and with a review of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement set for this year, just how far have we got? How transformative will these negotiations prove to be for cross-channel trade in the affected sectors? With our host Chris Horseman (Borderlex); Emily Lydgate (CITP); Adam Berman (Energy UK); Kate Foster (Federation of Small Businesses).
• 
  The geopolitics of critical minerals and recent approaches to trade cooperation 11.02.2026 40min

  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).
• 
  Greenland, Trump and trade coercion 28.01.2026 36min

  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).
• 
  Competition policy and industrial policy 17.12.2025 32min

  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).
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  UK Membership of PEM 10.12.2025 35min

  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).
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  Public attitudes to trade and trade policy 15.10.2025 36min

  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).
• 
  The Multilateral Trading System under threat: actions and reactions 24.09.2025 1h

  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).
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  Making international trade work properly: conformity assessment 17.09.2025 38min

  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).
• 
  US trade policy in the first 6 months of Trump's second term 16.07.2025 43min

  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.
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  UK-EU agrifood (SPS) negotiations 09.07.2025 32min

  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.
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  Assessing the UK-US trade deal 11.06.2025 43min

  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).
• 
  Does UK steel production have a future? 28.05.2025 29min

  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).
• 
  World Trading System 21.05.2025 40min

  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).