International trade

While the UK prepares to leave the EU, the future of services trade has received less attention in the public debate than trade in goods. The UK’s exposure to services trade means however that businesses in many sectors across the economy will be affected. This paper looks at the complexity of international trade in services and discusses what could change under the different future scenarios.

Whatever choice the UK makes, departing from Single Market rules will inevitably mean more barriers to trade

Automotive manufacturing, trade, employment and policy.

This short note provides a list of EU trade agreements in force.

This briefing discusses how future UK trade policy after Brexit could affect the availability, price and quality of food, as well as the prospects for farmers, food producers and processors. It sets out key statistics on the UK’s international food and drink trade and considers the potential opportunities and challenges of new trading relationships after the UK leaves the EU, including under a Withdrawal Agreement or a no deal scenario.

After Boris Johnson became Prime Minister in July 2019 the Government intensified planning for a no-deal Brexit and stressed its intention to take the UK out of the EU on 31 October with or without a deal. But the UK remained in the EU after 31 October after a further extension of the Article 50 period was agreed with the EU. A no-deal Brexit however remains the default outcome if an agreement is not ratified. This briefing paper provides an overview of Government and EU preparations for a no-deal Brexit, and of recent reports analysing the possible impact of this outcome

What does the Withdrawal Agreement Bill say about what will happen to Northern Ireland post-Brexit? How will it translate into UK law the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland in the Withdrawal Agreement that replaced the 'backstop'?

The UK and EU agreed a revised Political Declaration on the framework for the future UK-EU relationship on 17 October. This Briefing provides an outline of the contents of the Declaration and the key changes in the revised text

Boris Johnson's Government have negotiated a new 'deal' with the European Union. It is formed of a Political Declaration and a Withdrawal Agreement. This paper focuses on the Withdrawal Agreement and how it compares to the one negotiated by Theresa May's Government in November 2018. The main differences are in the Protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland or the 'backstop' as it is commonly known. It contains very different arrangements, the UK will no longer be in a single customs territory or union with the EU. The UK will no longer be legally bound to continue with level playing field commitments at the end of the transition period. Northern Ireland will still be in the UK's customs territory and VAT area, however, the region will align with the EU's rules in these areas. Northern Ireland will remain mostly aligned to the EU's regulations for goods. Four years after the end of the transition period Northern Ireland's democratic institutions will vote on whether they wish to continue the arrangements in the Protocol.

The No-deal Brexit: A guide to Commons Library research is an annotated bibliography of sources published by the House of Commons Library on a potential no-deal Brexit. It will be updated regularly. Links to the papers included in the resource are available on this page, the downloadable version includes additional comment on some of the selected papers.

This note on tariffs was prepared in 2019 and is now out of date.

Trade in services is hugely important to the UK economy. This Insight looks at what might change if the UK leaves without a deal. It also shows how Office for National Statistics (ONS) experimental statistics helps unravel the complexity of services trade with the EU and other countries

There is ongoing debate about trophy hunting, its contribution to wildlife conservation and links to wildlife trafficking. Those opposed to trophy hunting are calling for a ban on imports of hunting trophies into the UK.

The EU has over a thousand international agreements with non-EU countries, covering trade, aviation, nuclear co-operation and other issues. These will cease to apply to the UK when it leaves the EU. The Government has identified 157 agreements with non-EU countries that it is seeking in order to replace these arrangements in the event of a no deal Brexit. Some agreements have already been concluded, but engagement is ongoing for most of these and some will not be in place by the scheduled Brexit day of 31 October.

This briefing paper sets out the implications for UK trade with EU and non-EU countries of a no deal Brexit.