The Future of Digital Services Trade Conference

As part of its independent trade policy post Brexit, the UK has agreed several Free Trade Agreements with forward looking digital trade provisions. These have been welcomed by the sector as they lock in best practice and offer firms business certainty when engaging in cross border trade.

This conference discussed how the UK can push forward along this trajectory, using all the trade policy tools at its disposal to cement its position at the heart of the global digital economy.

Discussions also included:

• a recently published and related report from TheCityUK on Digital trade: a commercially viable approach.
• TechUK work on UK international digital policy cooperation
• The IRSG’s work on data localisation and the future of international data transfers.

You can watch interviews with Sam Lowe, Sabina Ciofu, Sally Jones, Vivienne Artz, and Dan Price on our You Tube channel here. 

‘The Practical Implications of Digital FTA Provisions on the UK Financial Services Sector’.

The conference saw the launch of ‘The Practical Implications of Digital FTA Provisions on the UK Financial Services Sector’, published by the City of London Corporation in collaboration with Flint Global,

The report seeks to outline how the UK financial and professional services (FPS) sector benefits from free trade agreements (FTAs). It also makes a series of recommendations for how UK Government can develop a more holistic approach to trade policy broadening the scope beyond FTAs into areas of regulatory diplomacy.

Watch Sam Lowe from Flint Global giving his keynote speech introducing the report below. 

Download the report.

Catch Up

Opening keynote

City of London Deputy Chair of Policy Keith Bottomley

Digital ecosystem, discussing the current state of play

• Dan Price. Managing Director, Rock Creek Global Advisers
• Zertasha Malik, Head of International Policy & Strategy Division, Bank of England

How to advance digital trade

Chair: Sam Lowe. Partner, Flint Global

Speakers:

• Kate Platonova. Group Chief Data and Analytics Officer, HSBC
• Sherry Madera. Senior Vice President Public Policy, Government Affairs, Mastercard
• Debbie Lawrence. Group Head of Data Management and Strategy, LSEG          
• Nicola Watkinson. Managing Director, International Trade and Investment, TheCityUK

Digital trade, the regulatory perspective

Chair: Damian Nussbaum. Executive Director, City of London Corporation

Speakers:

• Richard Waite. Head of International, Financial Conduct Authority
• Johannes Fritz, St.Gallen Endowment for Prosperity through Trade

Keynote

Charlotte Crosswell OBE, Open Banking

What does the future of digital trade look like for the FPS sector?

Chair: Sally Jones, EY

Speakers:

• Vivienne Artz. Chair, International Regulatory Strategy Group Data Committee
• Sabina Ciofu. Associate Director, TechUK
• Graham Floater. UK Chief Negotiator and Chair of the G7 Digital Trade Group, Department for International Trade
• Martin McElwee. Partner, Freshfields