We enable our clients to navigate an increasingly complex global trading environment, helping them identify risks and opportunities to achieve their commercial objectives.
The global trading landscape has become an increasingly turbulent operating environment for companies that move goods, services, data and people in and out of the UK and EU. Businesses across all sectors, geographies and sizes need to stay abreast of changes and determine what these mean for them, as well as where areas of risk and opportunity lie.
We help clients to traverse a range of challenges including the EU’s push for open strategic autonomy, the UK’s independent trade agenda, digital trade, trade and financial services, border modernisation, trade and sustainability, and ongoing supply chain and regulatory risk.
Flint’s approach
We enable our clients to navigate this increasingly complex global trading environment, steer government policy, overcome regulatory and political barriers to trade, enter new markets and achieve their commercial objectives.
Removing trade barriers
We help clients address firm-specific trade and regulatory barriers through targeted policy interventions, utilising our in-depth understanding of the UK and EU policy making process.
Political and regulatory due diligence
We work with firms and investors to map trade, supply chain and labour market exposure to political, environmental and regulatory change, identify business model and investor risks and develop mitigation strategies.
Impact of geopolitical risk
We advise investors on the possible second and third- order trade impacts of geopolitical shocks to help them stress test their assumptions and identify new commercial opportunities.
Strategic counsel and intelligence
Drawing on Flint’s exceptional expertise and connections, we help firms develop and structure their strategic approach to government engagement and shape the UK and EU trade policy agendas.
Case studies
Strategic counsel and intelligence - Brexit and UK trade policy
Strategic counsel and intelligence - Brexit and UK trade policy
Ongoing advice and preparation for the impact of Brexit for a multinational drinks company. Helped the client understand the relevant risks to their operations and identify commercial opportunities during a politically challenging environment.
Deployed our senior UK and Brussels teams and network of Senior Advisers across Europe to identify specific key risks and opportunities for the company at the earliest possible stage in the process.
Provided regulatory, political and trade intelligence and advice on Brexit, including analysis notes, workshops and briefings with senior advisers.
Leveraged our networks to support the company’s engagement with UK and EU policymakers.
Improved the understanding of technical and operational issues for the client in the food and drink sector, helping them to prepare for likely outcomes.
Helped the firm design and implement successful policy interventions that materially improved its commercial position.
Identified new opportunities in emerging UK trade policy and helped create a compelling case for the company to present to HMG/DIT on priorities for the negotiations.
Impact of geopolitical risk on trade | Ukraine crisis
Impact of geopolitical risk on trade | Ukraine crisis
A major global investor wanted to understand the impact of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on global trade and supply chains to sense check their investment hypothesis and scope new opportunities.
Drawing on the latest data and information, we provided a detailed assessment of the first, second and third-order impacts of the invasion on global trade and supply chains.
Produced specific insights on the probable impact of the conflict on a range of industries such as food, semiconductors, defence and electric vehicles.
Presented our assessment in an easily digestible format, with a focus on commercially relevant detail.
Our analysis was used by the client’s investment committee to inform its decision-making.
The investor was able to sense check their internal assumptions against our assessment of the possible trade impact of the conflict.
We gave the investor a competitive edge by accurately identifying a number of second and third-order impacts of the conflict, prior to them becoming part of the public discussion.
Specialist projects | Government strategy
Specialist projects | Government strategy
A professional body wanted to develop a new post-Brexit UK export strategy to present to the government.
Carried out interviews with UK companies to understand their key trade issues and what they thought would help solve them.
Drew on the Flint team’s experience in policymaking and previous projects working with export-focused companies.
Conducted an in-depth analysis of the UK’s trade and export statistics, identifying upcoming trade trends, and potential solutions.
Produced a comprehensive report, which set out the government’s approach to trade, identifying priority areas and providing trade policy recommendations.
The report included a foreword by then-Export Minister Graham Stuart and was presented to the Department for International Trade.
Many of the report’s recommendations have been reflected in the government’s trade policy strategy.
A late change to an incoming prudential regime resulted in a client’s international operations being brought in scope, meaning the client would be required to hold significant additional capital. The client needed support to consider the options and make a decision about how best to mitigate the impact of this.
What Flint Did
Outcome
Flint advises international businesses and investors on policy, politics, regulation and competition.
