New to trade issues? Please see our client guide TRADE LAW – An Introduction.

What we advise on: we provide clear, commercially astute, and pragmatic advice on trade law and legal issues related to trade. This includes the UK/EU trade interface and the trade law aspects of the emerging body of formal trade relationships the UK have with other countries. Specifically, we help clients in relation to the following:

• UK trade agreements, actual and proposed, as well as WTO matters,
• exporters’ trade issues, including process, rules, licences and export country requirements and product classification, economic sanctions and export controls,
• importers’ trade issues, import permissions, customs duties, labelling, marking and marketing rules, and VAT,
• the overlap with competition law, including subsidies and State aid, and
• issues arising from Brexit not otherwise included above and the broader UK/EU business interface including interpretation of and compliance with EU rules and regulations.

Our trade practice has a focus on trade issues relating to:

• The technology sector, including digital trade – click here for other aspects dealing with this subject
• Trade aspects of commercial contracts – click here for other aspects dealing with this subject
• Trade aspects of IP law – click here for other aspects dealing with this subject
• Economic sanctions, and regulatory enforcement including dawn raids – click here for other aspects dealing with this subject
• Bilateral Investment treaties – click here for other aspects dealing with this subject
• Freeports – click here for other aspects dealing with this subject

With the benefit of having a Brussels office we provide clients with advice from both UK and EU lawyers. Our team where appropriate works with external experts, for example in relation to aspects of customs valuation or third country laws and regulations.

Our experience includes:

• Advising a global apparel producer that largely imported into the UK and then distributed to the EU on the contractual and other issues it would face because of Brexit.
• Advising an Asian government on aspects of its proposed trade agreement with the EU.
• Advising a range of UK and overseas manufacturers, retailers and distributors on their import and export obligations (interim and long term) following Brexit, including product labelling, UKCA and CE Marking.
• Advising on product detentions and seizures by UK Border Force, the OPSS, HMRC and Port Health Authorities.
• Advising companies and individuals during raids and criminal regulatory investigations for trading breaches.
• Acting for a shipping company by presenting arguments to the EU about alleged subsidies provided to an Asian competitor in the context of its bid to acquire a European-based competitor.
• Advice on economic sanctions relating to UK entities wishing to do business in Russia and in Iran.