Trade-offs: understanding future trade options for Scotland

Figus, G., McGregor, P., McIntyre, S.G. and Roy, G. (2023) Trade-offs: understanding future trade options for Scotland. National Institute Economic Review, 260(1), pp. 26-39. (doi: 10.1017/nie.2022.7)

Abstract

Trade issues lie at the heart of the two biggest constitutional challenges the UK has faced in decades: Brexit and Scottish independence. Brexit has demonstrated the economic importance of borders and led to renewed calls for Scottish independence. While there are a range of possible trading arrangements an independent Scotland could pursue, all of them involve economically significant change. In this paper, we describe Scottish trade patterns and review the range of options that a newly independent Scotland might have for its trading arrangements. We then model the relative economic importance of these different potential trading arrangements.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The authors acknowledge the support of the Economic and Social Research Council Grant Ref: ES/W002434/1, Centre for Inclusive Trade Policy.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Roy, Professor Graeme
• Authors: Figus, G., McGregor, P., McIntyre, S.G., and Roy, G.
• College/School: College of Social Sciences > Adam Smith Business School
• Journal Name: National Institute Economic Review
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• ISSN: 0027-9501
• ISSN (Online): 1741-3036
• Published Online: 11 January 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in National Institute Economic Review 2022
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher