The week begins with the launch of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade’s annual conference agenda, designed to help firms build resilience, navigate uncertainty and secure growth.
There were also further warnings on the UK’s upcoming steel quota changes, this time from the construction sector, following talks between UK and EU trade ministers to assuage fears.
Technology is also at the forefront this week, as London Tech Week gets underway and UK business and trade secretary, Peter Kyle, pledges greater government investment in British start-ups.
Empowering Global Trade conference
The Chartered Institute is excited to announce the launch of its trade conference agenda, alongside the opportunity to secure ‘early bird’ tickets.
The Empowering Global Trade Conference 2026, will be held at the QEII Centre in London on 17 November, offering both sector professionals and leaders an insight into the operational challenges and high-level policy shifts which will shape international trade in 2027.
Amid unprecedented levels of uncertainty within the sector, stemming from increasing global conflict, export controls and a shift towards protectionist trade policy, the event aims to support businesses to “build resilience, navigate uncertainty and secure growth”.
Panel sessions featuring trade experts and practical break-out sessions will cover those three themes, preparing business leaders and sector specialists for another year of change.
An early-bird offer, with the first 100 tickets retailing at a reduced cost until 18 September, will run from today (8 June).
Chartered Institute members receive further discounted prices, while teams of five or more can receive a further 10% discount.
Steel warnings from construction sector
The UK construction sector is the latest to voice concerns about reduced steel quotas, with claims that the changes could stifle UK homebuilding.
In a briefing note sent to government seen by the FT, the Construction Leadership Council warned of “a real risk of supply shortages alongside price increases”, given that the sector can’t “source all required steel grades and volumes from domestic producers alone”.
The UK will be cutting tariff-free steel quotas by 60% from 1 July, aligning with EU measures to reduce its quotas by 47%. The move is designed to prevent the UK becoming a dumping ground for cheap steel imports.
UK trade chief Kyle met with EU counterpart, Maroš Šefčovič, to discuss the quotas and attempt to find solutions that don’t harm their respective industrial bases.
“We did speak about steel. It’s one of the issues that we’re facing,” told Politico afterwards, while remaining circumspect about solutions proposed in “creative” conversations had with Šefčovič.
The pair also reportedly discussed the upcoming EU-UK summit, with Šefčovič praising UK ministers while also noting “it’s important not only to have a date, but a positive outcome”.
The talks have been delayed from early summer amid ongoing discussions about agreements on youth mobility and agri-product trade, as well as UK political uncertainty.
Growing UK tech firms
Kyle has also highlighted the need for the UK to invest more in home-grown startups, incentivising them to stay in the UK rather than scale overseas.
He told the Times over the weekend (6 June) that the government needed to take “aggressive” stakes in UK firms to help support the UK’s tech sector.
In its digital and technologies sector plan, derived from the 2025 industrial strategy, the government states that by 2035 it wasn’t “the UK to be one of the top three places in the world to create, invest in and scale-up a fast-growing technology business”.
While the plan makes note of using “business investment in the sector as a key measure of success”, and creating a business environment more favourable to tech investment, there was not mention of direct state funding for the sector.
Kyle’s comments came ahead of London Tech Week (8-12 June), which will see leaders from industry and government gather to discuss the future of the sector.
This includes developing the UK’s tech capability, securing investment, as well as trade-related topics like tech adoption and supply chain applications.
AI in customs and supply chains
The Chartered Institute will be discussing the topic of AI adoption in its free public webinar, Global Trade Live, tomorrow (9 June).
Featuring Chartered Institute experts and industry leaders, including representatives from AI customs specialists MIC.
They’ll be discussing the opportunities for AI adoption within supply chains, as well as the pitfalls to avoid.
Elsewhere in the headlines
- Talks in London between Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, and British, French and German counterparts, yielded a proposal for a “just and lasting” peace with Russia
- Middle East tensions escalated over the weekend as Israel and Iran exchanged fire, with US President Donald Trump attempting to rein in Israeli leader Benjamin Netayahu
Other dates for the diary
- Monday: Chinese President Xi Jinping visits North Korea
- Tuesday: Science, technology and innovation minister Liz Kendall delivers keynote address at London Tech Week
- Wednesday: US and China Consumer Price Index update
- Thursday: 2026 FIFA World Cup begins with co-hosts Mexico playing South Africa
- Friday: Latest UK trade stats released
- Saturday: Scotland plays first World Cup match
- Sunday: White House UFC fight to mark Donald Trump’s 80thbirthday, while fourth national day of anti-Trump protests take place
