UK Trade. The New Agenda. There is a once-in-a-generation opportunity for the UK to recast its role in global markets in a way which genuinely differentiates us, to reset our priorities on the sectors that will drive long term prosperity, and to rework how we collaborate together to deliver trade and investment success.
Trade and investment creates jobs and increases productivity by bringing the world’s best technology and ideas to the UK, as well providing access to export markets for companies. After leaving the EU, the UK is beginning a new chapter, based on asserting its own distinctive strengths. With its new freedoms to develop an independent trade policy, the UK is seeking to pivot to higher growth economies, and negotiate more bespoke trade deals.
At PwC, we started a conversation – across regions, business, government and society – to examine what the UK can do to drive trade and investment harder and better than it has before. How can the UK reposition itself in global markets to respond to new challenges? How can it recast its role in a way that is relevant for post-Brexit, post COVID-19 trade patterns? And how might we work together to deliver and prosper?
This paper brings together the insights from PwC’s UK Trade Summit, along with data from an online survey and conversations with government and business across the country to develop some key recommendations, to set the agenda for change.
There is a strong appetite to refocus on the medium and long term trade and investment strategy for the UK. As businesses begin to implement processes to handle the impact of Brexit and COVID-19, now is the time to raise our frame of reference from the here-and-now back to the longer term. Exploring the four themes below presents an opportunity to do just that. We will share further points of view on these areas to help advance the debate and develop a plan of action for the months and years to come.
Source: PwC UK
英国脱欧以后，在经贸协商领域将不再受任何来自外部的限制，因此能在全球范围内独立制定并推行相应的政策。这对于英国而言是一次难得的契机，使之能够审时度势，根据自身的优势和全球经济增速的版图，有针对性地寻求并签订符合其利益最大化的贸易协定，提升科技和生产力，增加就业机会，并创造更多的财富。
针对这一话题，普华永道近期举办了英国贸易峰会，与全球政商各界约120名人士展开了详尽的讨论，其中包括英国各领域的代表，以及来自美国，日本、中国，欧洲与印度的国际投资者，主要侧重于分析英国应如何调整其经贸战略，最有成效地推动投资和贸易。在脱欧和疫情双重压力之下，英国应在全球范围内树立何种形象，发挥何种作用，更是值得深究的议题。与会专家一致认为，尽管目前世界局势和热点问题已经发生了深刻变化，但贸易与投资这两点仍将是英国经济全面恢复的重要杠杆，因此必须大力倡导。
根据讨论的内容，并结合线上民意调查数据，英国普华永道日前发布了一份前瞻性的报告，立足于英国未来中长期的经贸战略，从四个角度出发提出了一些重要建议。
1）面向全球，准确定位 作为一个传统上对投资贸易高度开放的经济强国，英国在未来将具备哪些优势，又应如何展现和宣传这些优势，从而持续吸引外资和国际化的客户，是一项刻不容缓的议题。尤其是目前英国正试图摆脱新冠疫情和脱欧的负面影响，以积极正面的姿态重塑形象，所以更应当尽快在政府和商界等层面就国际定位达成一致，以便更有效率地提升英国的未来国际影响力。
普华永道中国业务部首席合伙人姜甦唯女士也在报告中指出，英国应该优先发挥其先进的科研优势，大力扶持高科技初创企业，引进高科技人才，在全球面临的医疗健康、颠覆式科技、去国际化等挑战上抢先占据前沿地位。同时也应采取有效扶植机制，刺激国际资本在伦敦以外寻求投资机会，更好地帮助英国区域经济发展，就环境保护，科技创新等问题与英国政商界共同打造解决方案。
2） 经贸为先，甄选政策 英国目前面临着许多重大决策，例如针对后疫情的经济复苏，亦或是2050前达到零碳排放目标。如果在制定政策时，能够从投资和贸易的角度入手，促使这两个维度的利益与国家整体目标取得一致，则其不但能最大限度地推动这些目标的完成，也能促进自身的健康增长。
3）集中力量，扬长避短 在全球市场竞争力日趋激烈的情形下，英国必须认清自身的优势和短板，将发展重点集中于优势产业和具有巨大前途的新兴产业，并以是否能将英国的经济利益最大化为准绳，使其在全球保持领先水平。
4）举国齐心，精诚合作 要想取得成功，英国的各级政府和机构，大小规模的工商界、金融界和教育界的企业与部门等等，都需要就共同目标和价值观达成共识，齐心协力，精诚合作。在过去一年的抗疫中，团队合作的不可缺失已经得到凸显，这点对于完成英国的未来战略目标同样重要。
来源: 普华永道英国
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