Lucian Cernat is a senior European Commission expert currently serving as the Head of Unit for Trade in Goods, Tariff Negotiations, Technical Barriers to Trade, Customs and Rules of Origin in DG TRADE. He brings over two decades of experience in international trade policy, having previously led global regulatory cooperation and international procurement negotiations and served as Chief Trade Economist, providing economic advice that influenced trillions of annual EU trade flows. Before joining the Commission, Cernat held positions at the United Nations in Geneva and worked as a trade diplomat with the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, participating in key FTA negotiations. A prolific author on trade policy, WTO negotiations, and regional agreements, he holds a PhD from the University of Manchester and a postgraduate diploma from Oxford University.