Senior European and British officials and business leaders gathered in Brussels last night (3 September) to discuss new approaches to facilitating “open, rules-based international trade”.
The ‘Open Trade Reception’ was hosted by the UK Mission to the EU in partnership with the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade and was the latest in a series of events being run as part of the ‘Open Trade Project’.
The reception included speeches from the deputy ambassador at the UK Mission, Caroline Read, and the Chartered Institute’s director general Marco Forgione.
The event was hosted under Chatham House rules, but key themes from the talks and discussions included the need to back rules-based trade amid the rising global threat of protectionism, the increased importance of trade diplomacy and the need to modernise customs processes.
‘Standing firm behind open trade’
Forgione, talking to the Daily Update after the event, said:
“The Open Trade Project is a vital platform for sharing innovation, challenging orthodoxy and demonstrating how the UK can take a lead in shaping the future of open, fair and inclusive trade.
“This work is extremely significant, given the current threats to the multilateral trading system from the rise of economic nationalism and the growing fragmentation of global markets.
“I’d like to thank the UK Mission for its leadership in the Open Trade Project and for hosting last night’s event, and I’d also like to reiterate the Chartered Institute’s support for its positive and constructive trade diplomacy.
“Events like last night’s reception show that the UK is continuing to take a lead in standing firm behind open trade, advocating for its pivotal role in driving global peace and prosperity.”
‘Practical solutions’
Fergus McReynolds, the Chartered Institute’s international and EU director, told the Daily Update that he enjoyed talking to policymakers and business leaders about “practical solutions for enabling freer, more frictionless trade”.
“Throughout the Open Trade Project series, it’s been refreshing to hear from officials and businesses about the regulatory and technological solutions that are out there – from digitising customs processes and documents, to upgrading border IT.
“Last night was no different, and the UK continues to have a real opportunity to lead on customs reform and digitalisation.”
Open Trade Project
The UK Mission launched the Open Trade Project in 2023 to shine a light on good practice and innovation in trade policy.
The initiative aims to explore and celebrate new approaches to promoting and fostering open trade relations, while tackling emerging challenges.
The Chartered Institute is a key partner for the project and also organised a panel discussion on the EU’s Customs Reform programme last November.
