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The UK Trade and Business Commission has taken evidence on several occasions on how staff shortages in the wake of Brexit are impacting different sectors of our economy. Ahead of summer recess, the Commission held this live evidence session to further understand these impacts and other aspects of the post-Brexit landscape.

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 has become entrenched in one of the worst cost of living crises since records began at the time of this session, and one facet in which this is being felt most sharply is on food prices. Whilst this crisis is ongoing, the UK continues to determine its post-Brexit food and agriculture policy.

This sessions looked at the potential impact of UK Free Trade Agreements, the UK Trade and Business Commissioned examined the deal already in place with Japan and the negotiations that are under discussion with India. By total GDP, Japan is the largest country which the UK has a relationship with, and India is the largest country which the UK was actively negotiating with at the time of the meeting .

Witnesses provided analysis on the UK government’s approach, what benefits are expected from the deals or had already been delivered, and how different parts of the UK economy were likely to benefit.

Following reports that the UK Governments was planning to unilaterally revise parts of the Northern Ireland Protocol, this live panel saw the Commission’s Co-convener Hilary Benn MP, Irish politician Neale Richmond and former Conservative MP David Gauke discuss the diplomatic and economic implications for the UK if it takes unilateral action.

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 UK government had announced the completion of two entirely new Free Trade Agreements, with Australia and New Zealand by the time of this meeting, and there has been the suggestion it may complete others including joining the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

On 1st January 2022 exports between Great 91ÊÓƵÍøÖ· and the European Union became subject to new import checks and wider customs controls as part of a staged control of new measures resulting from Brexit . These changes focus on both import and export checks and there are also temporary arrangements for movements from Ireland. Further changes were due to be introduced in July 2022.

The Commission’s first annual report was published on the 11th March 2022 and it proposed 21 concrete interventions, aimed at improving cooperation and trade between the UK and its closest neighbours.

In this special evidence session, members of the UK Trade and Business Commission visited Belfast for its first in-person meeting. This meeting focused on the operation of the Northern Ireland Protocol, hearing from representatives of the Northern Ireland business community about their experiences of operations since it came into force, interactions with those negotiating and implementing arrangements, and views on what needs to change.

Led by Peter Norris and Hilary Benn, the UK Trade and Business Commission’s delegation landed early on the morning of Thursday 3rd March 2021.

The UK is a major manufacturing power in the world, with particular strengths in cars, engineering products and aerospace among others. That these no longer employ such large numbers predominantly reflects higher productivity, and has been seen in all developed countries.

This live panel reflected on the work of the UK Trade and Business Commission during 2021 before looking ahead to the Future of Trade in 2022.