The Chartered Institute has been busy over the part months, with a host of ‘back-to-school’ events for members to reconnect with the community and get up to speed more pressing issues in trade.
Lunchtime Learning
The Chartered Institute has held a series of digital events, including a deep dive into recently introduced legislation about packaging on both sides of the Channel. That was during July’s Lunchtime learning, in which Imports Advisory Practice lead Ilona Kawka took members through the EU’s Packaging Waste Directive and the UK’s Extended Product Responsibility legislation.
Ahead of the move towards the next phase of the Trader Support Service, members also had the chance to gain insight into the processes involved in moving goods into and out of Northern Ireland. That was particularly timely, following the announcement earlier this year that the EU’s Deforestation Regulation would apply to Northern Ireland. You can catch up on that Lunchtime Learning instalment here.
Member Forums
There was an in-person session last week, in which members met to discuss the biggest trade challenges that they’ve been facing recently, as well as offer advice and guidance on how they’ve navigated them.
Those in attendance heard from our director general Marco Forgione, who will be leaving the Chartered Institute at the end of 2026, after seven years at the helm.
Reflecting on his leadership, he said it’s been “an enormous privilege and honour to lead the Chartered Institute through such a consequential period for international trade and for the UK… I am immensely proud of what the team and the Board have achieved together”.
There was also an in-person session, hosted by law firm Grant Thornton at their Cardiff offices, of the Wales Member Forum.
Those in attendance got to hear from UK Government Wales about the ongoing development of Brand Wales, discussing ways of better consolidating and communicating export guidance, as well as informing businesses of upcoming export changes.
Other regional get-togethers will be taking place in the months ahead. Members in Northern Ireland can enjoy an in-person session in Belfast (15 October), while a digital forum will be held for members based in Scotland (11 November).
Special Interest Groups
The summer lull hasn’t stopped our sector-specific insights from reaching members.
In September we hosted a Customs SIG in which HMRC’s head of tariff and quota policy implementation Philippa Evans discussed the progress of work to develop the Online Tariff Tool with our technical director Anna Doherty.
There was also a manufacturing session, in which the Chartered Institute welcomed Department for Business, Innovation, Science and Trade officials to explain the likely impact of the EU’s much-discussed ‘Made in Europe’ legislation.
Their insights, along with Imports Advisory Practice lead Ilona Kawka’s, can be found here.
Empowering Global Trade Conference
A reminder that the Chartered Institute’s annual conference will be held on Tuesday 17 November.
The Empowering Global Trade Conference will bring together international trade experts from government and industry, who will share their expertise on how your company can navigate trade challenges and build resilience for the years ahead.
In addition to panel sessions in which you can hear from these sessions, there’ll also be interactive breakout room sessions in which you can pose your trade questions to experts.
There’s still time to book your ticket and secure your place – members are entitled to discounted prices and team bookings will also receive reduced rates.
