Movement of Goods Under the TCA

Authors
Leinarte, Emilija 

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Type
Article
Change log
Abstract

For many people, trade is about goods and so the most momentous aspect of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) are the provisions on goods. This article looks at the provisions on the trade in goods under the TCA and compares them with those on the Customs Union and the Single Market for goods under EU law (which still apply to Northern Ireland under the Ireland/Northern Ireland Protocol). It argues that the approach to the movement of goods in the TCA has much more in common with the World Trade Organization’s (WTO) provisions on goods, on which the TCA draws heavily, than EU law. This shift to a ‘WTO plus’ approach (as opposed to an ‘EU law minus’) is because the UK government considered that the Brexit vote gave a green light for a total break with the EU’s rules. Using four examples (the principle of non-discrimination; the significance of a ‘0, 0’ agreement; regulatory barriers to trade; and mutual recognition), this article shows just how close the TCA Title on Trade in Goods is to WTO law – and how far it is from EU law.

Publication Date
2022-04
Online Publication Date
2022-04-29
Acceptance Date
2022-01-20
Keywords
Trade and Cooperation Agreement, TCA, EU, European Union, Brexit, Northern Ireland Protocol, NIP, Free movement, Movement of goods, Free movement of goods, Withdrawal Agreement, WA, Trade, Tariff
Journal Title
Global Policy
Journal ISSN
1758-5880
1758-5899
Volume Title
Publisher
London School of Economics and Political Science
Sponsorship
ESRC (ES/T000716/1)