International trade [What Think Tanks are thinking]

Written by Marcin Grajewski,

The election of Donald Trump, who favours a bilateral over multilateral approach to international economic relations, as U.S. President may herald the end of an era of progressive liberalisation in global trade since the Second World War. At their meeting in March, finance ministers of the G20 group of major economies dropped their decade-long call to resist protectionism in international trade from their usual statement, under pressure from the new U.S. Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin. More changes in international trade may also result from the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, which will redefine their mutual trade relations and those with third countries.

This note offers links to a series of recent studies and commentaries from major international think tanks and research institutes on current issues in global trade. More reports on international trade can be found in a previous edition of ‘What Think Tanks are thinking’, and material on the potential impact of Brexit on trade is available in another item of the series.

EU trade issues

EU-China leadership in trade policy: Feasible? Desirable?
Centre for European Policy Studies, March 2017

EU-Japan: Free trade agreement a sign of commitment to economic cooperation
Bertelsmann Stiftung, March 2017

On the economics of an EU-Japan free trade agreement
Ifo, Bertelsmann Stiftung, March 2017

Europe woos Japan
Carnegie Europe, March 2017

Europe should lead the way with multilateralism
Bruegel, March 2017

Trump et l’avenir de la politique commerciale européenne
Institut français des relations internationales, March 2017

After the UK’s Brexit White Paper: What’s the next move towards a CFTA?
Centre for European Policy Studies, March 2017

Trump trade reset gives China and Europe opportunity to rebalance relations
European Council on Foreign Relations, March 2017

The storm of new protectionism: What lies behind it?
Friends of Europe, March 2017

Trump, trade and the EU: Two wrongs don’t make a right
Centre for European Reform, February 2017

The end of the transatlantic trade consensus?
Centre for European Reform, February 2017

The EU should not retaliate against Trump’s protectionism
Bruegel, February 2017

Gender sensitive trade? A feminist perspective on the EU: Mercosur free trade negotiations
Heinrich Böll Stiftung, February 2017

The EU as global trade and investment actor: The times they are achangin’
Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, January 2017

Mitigating the impact of tariffs on UK-EU trade
CIVITAS, January 2017

Assessing the legal and political implications of the post-Cotonou negotiations for the Economic Partnership Agreements
Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, January 2017

Brexit and trade: Between facts and irrelevance
College of Europe, December 2016

After the UK has withdrawn from the EU. What are the options for trade?
Bertelsmann Stiftung, December 2016

EU trade policy in the multilateral trading system
Barcelona Centre for International Affairs, November 2016

U.S. trade issues

NAFTA in play: How President Trump could reshape trade in North America
Bruegel, March 2017

Strategic consequences of U.S. withdrawal from TPP
Rand Corporation, March 2017

Wilbur Ross is in the driver’s seat on US trade policy, for now
Chatham House, March 2017

Will the proposed US border tax provoke WTO retaliation from trading partners?
Peterson Institute for International Economics, March 2017

Who pays for border adjustment? Sooner or later, Americans do
Peterson Institute for International Economics, March 2017

Renegotiating NAFTA: What happens next?
Peterson Institute for International Economics, March 2017

Should the North American Free Trade Agreement be scrapped?
Heritage Foundation, March 2017

The high costs of protectionism
Brookings Institution, February 2017

NAFTA under Trump: the myths and the possibilities
Brookings Institution, February 2017

The border adjustment tax: A dangerous proposal
Bruegel, February 2017

US trade policy options in the Pacific Basin: Bigger is better
Peterson Institute for International Economics, February 2017

The fallacy of Trump’s alternative trade calculation
Peterson Institute for International Economics, February 2017

Trump should follow Reagan’s lead on trade
Council on Foreign Relations, February 2017

Trump’s plan for trade: The last thing we need is more trade deals
Economic Policy Institute, February 2017

Other studies on trade

China and the WTO: How US unpredictability jeopardizes a decade and a half of success
Chatham House, March 2017

The rise of protectionism and Japan’s trade policy
Japan Institute for International Affairs, March 2017

Trade elements in countries’ climate contributions under the Paris agreement

Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, March 2017

Trade facilitation and economic transformation in Africa
Oversees Development Institute, March 2017

Trade in services and economic transformation
Oversees Development Institute, February 2017

Crisis of capitalism? Perhaps, but don’t blame it on globalisation
Centre for European Reform, February 2017

Trade, social preferences and regulatory cooperation
Council on Foreign Relations, February 2017

Withdrawing from TPP was a senseless act of wanton destruction
Cato Institute, January 2017

Using internal and external sources of information to reduce customs evasion
Centre d’Etudes et de Recherches sur le Développement International, January 2017

Towards “greening” trade? Tracking environmental provisions in the preferential trade agreements of emerging markets
Deutsches Institut für Entwicklungspolitik, January 2017

What will happen to U.S. trade policy when Trump runs the zoo?
European Centre for International Political Economy, December 2016

Das neue Misstrauen gegenüber Freihandelsabkommen: eine effektive EU-Handelspolitik braucht das Vertrauen der Bevölkerung
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik, December 2016

The geopolitical relevance of Piraeus and China’s new silk road for Southeast Europe and Turkey
Clingendael, December 2016

How far should we push globalisation?
Centre for European Policy Studies, November 2016