The Counter to Economic Nationalism is Economic Patriotism
Guest blog by Marco Forgione from Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade as part of our International Trade Campaign Week.
The past five years have seen unprecedented change and disruption in the global trade network. Against this backdrop, the UK stands as a connector, bridging systems, processes, and old and new alliances. Our identity as a trading nation is once again in sharp focus, energised by new opportunities but challenged by global headwinds. Global Britain must now mean something practical: forging relationships, shaping standards, and standing up for the values of trusted trade.
Businesses worldwide face growing uncertainty: about trade relationships; supply networks; shipping routes; and long-established rules of trade and diplomacy. The new administration in Washington has very deliberately set on a path to unpick the global, multilateral administrative system. This is combined with the ongoing war on mainland Europe, conflict in the Middle East, environmental change impacting the Panama Canal and farming production, technological disruption, and the re-shaping of customs and trade regulations. All of which has led many businesses, particularly MSMEs, to pause growth plans and rethink new markets.
Alongside these disruptive forces, we’re also seeing a shift towards economic nationalism, fanned by the pursuit of narrow self-interest, and prohibitive practices. The UK is emerging as an essential counterbalance to these forces. The trade agreements we’ve signed or are negotiating with India, the US, and the EU indicate an alternative to economic nationalism. They position the UK as an open, outward-looking, and collaborative partner.
To make sense of what’s at stake, we have to return to first principles. Free and open trade isn’t just an economic tool, it’s a driver of peace, prosperity, and mutual progress. And all the evidence shows that businesses which trade internationally are more resilient, more sustainable, employ more people, are more innovative, and are more profitable.
The moral case for trusted cross-border trade is clear: history shows trade reduces conflict, promotes diplomacy, spurs innovation, and boosts development. The 19th-century French economist Frédéric Bastiat was clear that “when goods don't cross borders, soldiers will”. More than a billion people have been lifted out of extreme poverty since 1990, much due to the opening up of trade.
But ideals only carry weight if they deliver for society. Fortunately, trade delivers: the more open and accessible markets are, the more consumers, businesses, and communities benefit. Trade’s value to the UK economy cannot be overstated: exports account for around 32% of UK GDP, £881 billion last year, with over 7 million UK employees in roles directly impacted by the movement of goods. Trade has to be treated as the keystone for any economy. The ability to import and export is core to building a sustainable, resilient, and secure economy.
The answer to today’s challenges isn’t to turn inward. It’s to establish a new geo-political framework. A framework that addresses the growing tilt towards self-interested, economic nationalism. It is to adopt policies built on the firm foundations of economic patriotism. Policies which encourage internal investment, the deployment of national assets and resources, and the development of policies and partnerships which work to spark regenerative growth in collaboration with our partners. The recent Mansion House Accord and the UK Government intervention in British Steel align with the principles of economic patriotism. The industrial, trade and small business strategies will hopefully provide greater clarity on the structure of UK economy, trade and regulatory frameworks for the coming years.
British businesses are already showing what’s possible. Flora Food Group exports to over 100 countries and is opening a US factory, proof of UK food and drink’s global reach. Joseph Cheney, crafting shoes since 1886, now navigates a complex global supply chain. Lemberg, a caviar specialist operating across the EU, shows the value of clear, efficient regulation for luxury firms. And AESSEAL manufactures critical mechanical seal technology for industries in over 100 markets. Each of these firms, all members of the Chartered Institute, reflects the bigger truth: that trade is an agent of progress.
The UK has always been an outward-looking, trade-driven economy, encompassing industrial innovation and our Commonwealth partnerships. Our newly independent trade policy is a responsibility as well as a freedom. The progress being made with India, the US, CPTPP, the Gulf states, and our improving ties with Europe all point to a huge potential for the UK, our businesses, and our communities across our nations and regions.
This is our chance to champion a model of trade that’s open, responsible, and inclusive. But we stand at a crossroads – the world can fragment, or it can build bridges. Trusted trade and collaboration are how we grow sustainably and leave no one behind.
To address today’s biggest challenges, we must take down barriers and support trusted trade. At the Chartered Institute, our mission is to do just that, and to counter economic nationalism through economic patriotism. When supply chains are stable and partners are predictable, everyone benefits – from factory floor to end customer.
Trade is not an abstract concept, and it isn’t just a part of our economy – trade is what enables humanity to grow.
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Sabina Ciofu is Associate Director – International, running the International Policy and Trade Programme at techUK.
Based in Brussels, she leads our EU policy and engagement. She is also our lead on international trade policy, with a focus on digital trade chapter in FTAs, regulatory cooperation as well as broader engagement with the G7, G20, WTO and OECD.
As a transatlanticist at heart, Sabina is a GMF Marshall Memorial fellow and issue-lead on the EU-US Trade and Technology Council, within DigitalEurope.
Previously, she worked as Policy Advisor to a Member of the European Parliament for almost a decade, where she specialised in tech regulation, international trade and EU-US relations.
Sabina loves building communities and bringing people together. She is the founder of the Gentlewomen’s Club and co-organiser of the Young Professionals in Digital Policy. Previously, as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Shapers Community, she led several youth civic engagement and gender equality projects.
She sits on the Advisory Board of the University College London European Institute, Café Transatlantique, a network of women in transatlantic technology policy and The Nine, Brussels’ first members-only club designed for women.
Sabina holds an MA in War Studies from King’s College London and a BA in Classics from the University of Cambridge.
Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK
Daniel Clarke
Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade, techUK
Dan joined techUK as a Policy Manager for International Policy and Trade in March 2023.
Before techUK, Dan worked for data and consulting company GlobalData as an analyst of tech and geopolitics. He has also worked in public affairs, political polling, and has written freelance for the New Statesman and Investment Monitor.
Dan has a degree in MSc International Public Policy from University College London, and a BA Geography degree from the University of Sussex.
Outside of work, Dan is a big fan of football, cooking, going to see live music, and reading about international affairs.
Theo joined techUK in 2024 as EU Policy Manager. Based in Brussels, he works on our EU policy and engagement.
Theo is an experienced policy adviser who has helped connect EU and non-EU decision makers.
Prior to techUK, Theo worked at the EU delegation to Australia, the Israeli trade mission to the EU, and the City of London Corporation’s Brussels office. In his role, Theo ensures that techUK members are well-informed about EU policy, its origins, and its implications, while also facilitating valuable input to Brussels-based decision-makers.
Theo holds and LLM in International and European law, and an MA in European Studies, both from the University of Amsterdam.
Lewis' programmes cover a range of policy areas within Market Access (international trade regulation, sanctions and export controls, technical standards and product compliance, supply chains) and Consumer Tech (media and broadcast policy, consumer electronics, and connected home technology).
Prior to joining techUK, Lewis worked in government affairs and policy roles for international trade associations in Southeast Asia including the American Malaysian Chamber of Commerce and the European Chamber of Commerce in Cambodia.
He holds an undergraduate degree in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge and an MSc in Public Policy & Management from SOAS University of London.
Tess joined techUK as an Policy and Public Affairs Team Assistant in November of 2024. In this role, she supports areas such as administration, member communications and media content.
Before joining the Team, she gained experience working as an Intern in both campaign support for MPs and Councilors during the 2024 Local and General Election, and working for the Casimir Pulaski Foundation on defence and international secuirty. She has worked for multiple charities, on issues such as the climate crisis, educational inequality and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). In 2023, Tess obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Politics and International Relations from the University of Nottingham.
Director General, Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade
As director general of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade (CIOE&IT) since January 2020, Marco Forgione MCIEx has become a leading authority and commentator on global trade, empowering businesses to grow internationally through educational programmes and digital trade solutions.
He plays a pivotal role as an intermediary between governments and businesses, both domestically and internationally. He is a member of the Economic Security and Resilient Growth Business Group, formerly known as the Critical Imports Council, established by the previous UK administration. Additionally, he serves on the multilateral B20 Taskforce for Trade and Investment. He is a visiting professor at Aston University and regularly comments on trade and supply chain matters in the international media, including the BBC, Sky News, CNN, Al Jazeera and Bloomberg, among others.
Under his leadership, CIOE&IT has grown from a team of 12 to now over 170 trade and customs experts, seeing membership grow from 2,000 to 7,000, culminating in IOE&IT being awarded a Royal Charter in 2024. The charity has become a trusted partner to the UK government in the delivery of trade facilitation solutions such as the Trader Support Service (TSS). This digital portal has enabled the continuation of goods movements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland under the Windsor Framework.
Forgione is also a passionate advocate for trade as a force for good in the world, regularly commenting in the media that it is a driver of economic prosperity and that it can serve to bring communities closer together. He has led IOE&IT into partnerships with the World Trade Organization and International Trade Centre that have built trade capacity among MSMEs and female entrepreneurs. He also entered CIOE&IT into the TLIP Institute – a global collaboration to develop a new digital infrastructure for trade – alongside the World Economic Forum, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, the IOTA Foundation, TradeMark Africa and the Global Alliance for Trade Facilitation.
Before CIOE&IT, Marco led trade bodies in the arts, antiques and creative sectors, navigating the British Antiques Dealers’ Association through digital transformation between 2015 and 2020, and leading creative bodies EVCOM and the International Visual Communication Association between 2008 and 2015. He also previously had director level roles at Canterbury College and the Landscape Institute.