The WTO Secretariat has published a new information note warning of possible increases to trade costs due to COVID-19 disruptions. This is serious and needs to be mitigated since trade is a key mechanism for the post-pandemic revovery. The note examines the pandemic’s impact on key components of trade costs, particularly those relating to …

The agenda for next week’s round of EU-UK negotiations with Michel Barnier & David Frost. Talks will take place at the EU Commission in Brussels. This is a tremendously important round of negotiations.

Rising COVID-19 infection rates pose a threat to global tourism. A new app acts as a health passport for travellers who are virus-free. Using blockchain technology, it provides an encrypted record of test results.Its creators say it could allow healthy travellers to avoid quarantine. The app could also allow sports and entertainment venues to …

It appears like the wind is starting to change in relation to foreign views on the Swedish Covid-19| Corona virus strategy. Swedish people have been supporting the strategy all along. We trust our expert agencies. Now onfection numbers unfortunstely are starting to raise again in many lockdown countries, but not in Sweden. You can …

Britain’s top minister overseeing Brexit talks, Michael Gove, said over the weekend that he was confident a free trade deal would be clinched with the EU as there had been a distinct change of tone from the bloc in recent weeks. The UK left the EU on 31 January but the main terms of …

What some people are missing in the UK Freeport Agenda discussion. This is my article from Global Economic Neural Network (GENN), published eariier today. There is a lot of discussion in media about the new UK Freeport Agenda and that freeports might not be the economic driver as stated by many. These views are …

Do not miss the event of the year when the World Free Zones Organization (World FZO) presents the New World Model seminar. The online seminar will be held on 15, 16 & 17 September 2020 A collection of interviews, panel discussions, webinars and industry reports available on a unique virtual conference platform. Click here …

Massive week for the UK Customs Academy last week, with over 2,000 students lined up to study our courses! Thank you for signing up! If you haven’t already, join us now www.ukcustomsacademy.co.uk You can also claim grant funding to cover the full cost of any of the courses offered by the Academy. Find out …

Joe Mayes at Bloomberg today writes an article about the end of the Brexit transition period and Governments planning for the 1 Janury 2021. It would be foolish not to plan for a situation where no more agreements are done between the two parties, even though there is still a chance for this to …

The countries’ policies for taming the outbreak couldn’t have been more different, but their current success in avoiding a resurgence should be heeded. The lifting of Covid-19 lockdowns around the world was never going to be easy. But as infections are flaring up from Spain to Australia, it’s worth noting that two of the …

Yesterday we were invited and went to a rock concert with local heores True Lies, a great rock band that is popular way beyond Swedish borders. It was their first live concert since January , due to the Covid-19|Corona outbreak. True Lies played their own songs in a restaurant/bar in Löderup by the coast. …

The House of Lords has written to MichaelGove to highlight the importance of looking beyond tariffs in the UK-EU trade negotiations. The existing Authorised Economic Operator (AEO) scheme will not be an adequate facilitation and a new trusted trader scheme should be devised urgently, so that it has the potential to play a significant …

The EU-Vietnam agreement comes into force today. Vietnam is now part of 77 countries trading with the EU under bilaterally agreed preferential conditions. These trade agreements offer EU companies a chance to access new emerging markets and create jobs for Europeans. The EU-Vietnam agreement strengthens EU economic links with the dynamic region of South-East …

Dignity (a.k.a. Dignity of Earth & Sky) is an amazing new sculpture overlooking the Missouri River near Chamberlain, South Dakota. The 15.24 meter high stainless steel statue by South Dakota artist laureate Dale Claude Lamphere depicts an Indigenous woman in Plains-style dress receiving a star quilt. According to Lamphere, the sculpture honors the culture …

U2 have spent the past few weeks focusing on the launch of their SiriusXM channel U2 X-Radio, but Bono and the Edge took a break to honor their long-time road crew with an acoustic rendition of “Stairway to Heaven,” which they posted on YouTube. “There’s one annoying aspect of an Irish crew that has …

The next phase of the customs grant scheme is now open for applications and sees a record £50 million investment as part of the measures to accelerate growth of the customs intermediary sector and help meet the increased demand it will see from traders at the end of the transition period. Customs intermediaries – …

Two goals, an assist and a 4-1 victory against Sampdoria. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 38, is in great shape. Milan beats Samporia in Serie A 4–1. “Superior and does what he wants,” writes La Gazzetta dello Sport. Gazetta dello Sport gives Ibrahimovic an eight in rating – best of all players – after the effort against …

Retailers, farming unions, consumer, hospitality and environmental bodies from across the UK have been named as members of the Government’s new Trade and Agriculture Commission. It will be chaired by food safety expert Tim Smith, a former Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency and Tesco Group Technical Director. The English, Scottish and Welsh …

My friend Pieter Cleppe writes an excellent and very intersting article about Freeports on REACTION today. Cleppe writes: ”With the coronavirus crisis subsiding, the UK government is now focusing on how to kick the British economy back into gear. Agreeing a good deal with the EU on future trade access when the UK recovers …

A Sunday in July. Reading digital newspapers to breakfast on the patio, morning TV news on. Breakfast with my life partner at Casa Karlsson on Millners Street. The Commodores Easy streaming from the B&O speaker. ”That’s why I am easy, I’m easy like sunday morning” Lionel Richie Sunday morning walk in our great hoods. …