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UKTPO-Briefing-Paper-38.pdf (226.88 kB)

Destruction of the Union: too high a price to pay for a US trade agreement

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posted on 2023-06-09, 21:56 authored by Emily LydgateEmily Lydgate, Chloe AnthonyChloe Anthony, Erik Millstone
The importance of EU rules to maintaining open borders within Ireland has been at the centre of UK and EU negotiations. Yet what is less appreciated is the significance of those rules for achieving frictionless trade between England, Scotland and Wales. As well as the possibility of new border trade barriers inside the UK, leaving the EU also opens up questions about how – and whether – the devolved nations will unite with England on external trade agreements. This is especially true with respect to the relationship between England and Scotland, for two reasons. First, a US trade negotiation would likely require changes to UK domestic legislation that Scotland, with its desire to maintain alignment with EU regulation, would oppose. Second, there is no overarching legal framework in place to preserve the UK internal market, and negotiations to achieve this have stalled. Thus a renewed effort is badly needed to establish effective collaboration between the administrations of the four nations, which includes at a minimum giving them a stronger role in trade negotiations, strengthening ongoing cooperation and providing legislative guarantees that environmental and consumer protections won’t be reduced if and when the UK leaves the EU.

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Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Published version

Publisher

UK Trade Policy Observatory

Pages

5.0

Place of publication

UK

ISBN

978-1-912044-85-6

Department affiliated with

  • Law Publications

Institution

University of Sussex

Full text available

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2020-10-20

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2020-10-20

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2020-10-20

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