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Specialist brief 01 · Trade & Industrial Strategy

Essential reading for anyone shaping or responding to international trade policy.

A structured read of trade policy developments across the UK, EU, and key bilateral relationships. Every issue surfaces the movements that matter, the actors making them, and the likely second-order effects on UK and European industrial strategy.

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The Trade Brief, the cover of issue 02

What arrived on Sunday.

Issue 02, sent on Sunday 27th September 2026: the headline, the bottom line, one of the week’s assessments with how likely it is, and the week ahead, quoted as sent. The full issue ran to 29 pages.

An InStone Publication
Issue 02
Sunday 27th September 2026

International trade; distilled

UK · EU · US · Asia

Brussels widened its trade lead over London this week

The bottom line

The EU is highly likely to conclude its Philippines trade agreement within months, giving European pork, poultry and dairy exporters preference in a market of 113 million people. Its customs overhaul will gradually replace national systems with a single EU entry point and one data interface. The food regulators say the British deals with New Zealand, Australia and India need no change to UK food law.

From the assessments

The European Union will formally conclude its Philippines trade agreement within months, ahead of any comparable British access

Highly likely · 75 to 90%Confidence: Moderate

So what. Exporters to the Philippines should plan on European rivals getting tariff preference first in pork, poultry, dairy and machinery. If you ship beef, ask the Animal and Plant Health Agency why certificate 8055 is unavailable before you quote a price.

The week ahead

  • 1Oct

    The consolidated EU rules on the export and import of hazardous chemicals apply from this date

    European Union

An excerpt. The full issue is a 29-page PDF: every assessment with its evidence, the outlook, the week on the record, method, caveats and a linked source for every point, sent with a short covering email.

A short email to read, a full report to keep.

  1. 01

    The bottom line: the week's judgement, before the working

  2. 02

    An assessment of each development, with how likely each outcome is

  3. 03

    Where the bills, regulations and consultations we follow now stand

  4. 04

    The week ahead: comment windows, trade deadlines and dates to watch

  5. 05

    A linked source for every point

Written for

NGOs working on trade justice and supply chains, embassy and delegation staff, and advisers to ministers and commissioners, alongside trade associations and exporters.

Recent issues covered

  • The EU-Philippines trade deal, and where it leaves British exporters
  • The EU customs reform and its new customs authority in Lille
  • The UK-Switzerland trade agreements going into parliamentary scrutiny
  • Food regulators' advice on the New Zealand, Australia and India deals
  • EU trade defence, from steel and chemicals to Chinese pea protein

Often read alongside it.

All eight specialist briefs

Specialist brief 02 · Defence & Security

How UK and European defence posture is shifting, and what that means for industry and policy.

Read about the Defence Brief

Specialist brief 04 · Digital & AI Regulation

Where digital rules are being written, and where the leverage is.

Read about the Digital Brief

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