Tag: imports

Importing is “GREAT”, too

The UK government promotes international trade under the banner ‘Exporting is GREAT’. This is laudable, but the economic benefits of free trade come mainly from what countries import, rather than from what they sell overseas. This is the main message from a paper I wrote recently for the Institute of Economic Affairs. Of course, it is not … Continue reading Importing is “GREAT”, too →

Brexit: the good, the bad, and the little bit ugly

How time doesn’t always fly. It is a long five years since the UK voted to leave the EU in the 2016 referendum and the country still seems as divided about the impacts as ever. But as a Leave voter and Brexit optimist, I’m feeling increasingly positive. Let’s start with three things that have gone … Continue reading Brexit: the good, the bad, and the little bit ugly →

Britain should welcome cheaper food from Australia, not tax it

Opposition to tariff-free access to UK markets for Australian farmers is protectionism, pure and simple. Minette Batters, president of the National Farmers Union (NFU), argues that removing tariffs would make it ‘all but impossible’ for British family farms ‘to compete with vast volumes of imports from the southern hemisphere produced in a very different manner’. … Continue reading Britain should welcome cheaper food from Australia, not tax it →