The law of UK trade with the EU and the world after Brexit

The law governing how the UK trades with the rest of the world changed dramatically after and because of Brexit. This article seeks to familiarise the reader with the process of transformation of UK-related trade law, from the EU internal market to the new status quo of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and the other novel or rolled-over trade deals. With regard specifically to the evolution of the law of trade between the UK and the EU (by far the largest chunk), however, the new status quo is radically different from the pre-Brexit scenario, and any attempt to compare the two is misleading. Ultimately, this account clarifies the current arrangements and explains how these are properly understood and assessed in their own right, as independent agreements designed to enhance trade as compared with a WTO-only baseline.