This episode of the Trade Bites podcast scrutinizes the topic of trade agreement scrutiny. In addition to the ratification of the UK's accession to the Asia Pacific Trade Block (CPTPP) earlier this month, there are at least seven new UK Free Trade Agreements currently under negotiation. How do we know that the trade policy decisions that the Government is taking on our behalf are the right ones? 

Alan Winters (CITP), Alan Ramsey (Department for the Economy in Northern Ireland), Alex Horne (Barrister and Durham University) and Mairi Spowage (CITP) discuss whether the Government is delivering value and if they got their priorities right; what level of involvement should there be for the UK's devolved administrations and other stakeholders?; and ultimately, how could the process be more inclusive?

Trade scrutiny

The UK has a long history as an agricultural trading nation. For much of our existence, we’ve been a net importer of food, creating a free trade economics 'virtue' out of the necessity of needing to feed ourselves. But calibrating a well-balanced trade policy for agriculture and food is a notoriously difficult thing to do. When we were part of the EU, UK commentators often criticised Brussels for being excessively protectionist. 

The UK is now a free agent, in trade policy terms. So just how much has actually changed? Have we actually adopted a liberal agri-food trade policy? Brexit has created new bureaucratic barriers to trade. What impact are these actually having on UK food importers and exporters? And what difference will the UK’s new trade agreements with partners around the world actually make to the economics of producing and selling food here in the UK? 

Fiona Smith (University of Leeds) Ludivine Petetin (CITP) and Nick von Westenholz (NFU) tackle these questions from our presenter, Chris Horseman (Borderlex).

Trade and agriculture

For three years after Britain left the single market, the UK has effectively operated an 'open door' policy on imports from the EU. Five times the government announced the introduction of border controls on imports from the EU – and five times they were postponed for various operational and logistical reasons. But now it’s finally happening. So how will the new Border Target Operating Model, or BTOM, actually work?

Anna Doherty (Institute of Exports and International Trade) and William Bain (British Chambers of Commerce) discuss the ins and outs with Chris Horseman (Borderlex):
Is the new regime of border checks on higher-risk agri-food products actually compatible with the high-volume, roll-on roll-off trade that flows through Dover and the Channel Tunnel? Will the new regime lead to delays and increased costs? Or should traders, who have now had more than three years to prepare, be ready for the new reality?

Imports into the UK and the new border control mechanism – BTOM

Later in 2024, the UK will join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement on Trans-Pacific Partnership bringing a whole new meaning to the expression ‘regional trade agreement’. The British government has made no secret of its enthusiasm for what it calls a ‘strategic pivot’ towards the Asia-Pacific region. But, does it make sense for the UK which has just withdrawn from one trade bloc right on its doorstep, to join another which is centred on the other side of the world? What benefits might we expect UK membership of CPTPP to deliver? How might CPTPP evolve in future?

Joining Chris Horseman (Borderlex) to discuss this topic are Minako Morita-Jaeger (CITP), Rob Cook (Department for Business and Trade) and Manuel Tong Koecklin (CITP/UKTPO).

CPTPP – a ‘regional’ trade deal redefined

The concept of ‘economic security’ is now a prominent feature in discussions about trade policy as recent geopolitical developments have indicated that we need to think carefully about our trade partners. In addition, net zero targets mean that we need to access the raw materials to make these products – a high proportion of which are located in non-allied countries.

This podcast looks at whether we should restrict our trade to countries on whom we can rely on, and who share similar values to us and what we can do if other nations make life difficult for our traders, or take a suspiciously close interest in our own strategically important industries.

Joining Chris Horseman (Borderlex) for this discussion are Amar Breckenridge (Frontier Economics), Iana Dreyer (Borderlex) and Michael Gasiorek (CITP).

Trade and economic security

In 2014 Professor James Fairhead's research played a crucial role in responding to the Ebola outbreak in West Africa.  An epidemic with many similarities to the current Covid 19 pandemic, Ebola threatened both the physical and social body of the infected regions.  In this episode of the Impacted podcast we hear about how understanding Human behaviour and cultural motivation is an essential part of mitigating the spread of any disease.
  
James Fairhead is a Professor Of Social Anthropology at the University of Sussex. His research focuses on environmental and medical anthropology and he has conducted extensive fieldwork principally in West and Central Africa.

The researcher would like to further thank all those involved in the Ebola Response Anthropology Platform, including Professor Melissa Leach (@IDS), Melissa Parker (@ the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine), and Dominique Millimouno for his research scoping exercise that ERAP supported.

James Fairhead

Welcome to Impacted - the podcast series about research for real change.  Each episode showcases researchers at the University of Sussex (UK) and considers the impact their work is having in the world.

James Fairhead

Impacted

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