Brexit was supposed to give the United Kingdom an à la carte menu of trade relationships, tilting toward Europe, the United States, or China as circumstances demanded. Instead, as a Reuters Breakingviews analysis published October 1 argues, increasingly aggressive economic competition among all three blocs has left Britain staring at a buffet where the only edible option is the European Union — the one it sent back to the kitchen.
On Wednesday, U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC he is weighing a range of options for a long-term relationship with the EU, from the status quo to a customs union to rejoining the bloc outright. So far, Britain has tried to play the middle: edging closer to Brussels while scrambling to preserve its ‘special relationship’ with Washington and softening its stance toward Beijing.
But Brussels is turning defensive. According to the Financial Times, EU officials have been pressuring Burnham to rejoin the customs union, using inclusion in ‘Made in Europe’ subsidies and public procurement policies as leverage. Failing that, they expect Britain to match the bloc’s anti-China measures — which London did not do in 2024, when Brussels hiked tariffs on Chinese battery-electric vehicles to as much as 45%. Those discussions will now be pushed into next year, the FT reported Wednesday, alongside talks on a youth experience programme, linking emissions trading schemes, and removing trade barriers on food.
The EU’s stated fear — echoed by some auto executives — is that China could dodge tariffs by routing exports through Britain. But as Breakingviews notes, that makes little sense under the 2021 EU–UK trade agreement: Chinese-made EVs are still Chinese for tariff purposes, and to qualify for tariff-free trade they need at least 45% UK or EU originating content — a threshold set to rise to 55% from 2027.
Why it matters: Britain’s choice will shape trade costs for its biggest export markets for a generation — and determine whether London lines up with Brussels’ defensive turn against China or keeps trying to court all sides.
Sources:
https://www.reuters.com/commentary/breakingviews/britain-will-bend-eu-or-outside-it-2026-10-01/
https://www.londondaily.news/us-tariffs-60-partners-forced-labour-implications-uk/
