protectionism
Trade practices designed to discourage imports
Reports on protectionism See all →
Opinion: The WTO drifts toward irrelevance
The WTO is a relatively cheap international organization, but it has achieved very little since it was created in 1995. It will not likely disappear, especially if it keeps a low profile and transforms bilateral deals driven by politics into multilateral deals. That would be less useful than if it could become a body that calculates and collects fines from those who violate simple rules – with no exceptions.
The future of free trade
Free trade is undergoing a dip in popularity, as it gives way to economic nationalism in many parts of the globe. Much of this comes down to the WTO and its failure to rein in China’s unfair economic practices since 2001. Washington wants to bring about fundamental changes in the ...
Charting the course of Africa’s aviation sector
A growing middle class, increasing continental integration and huge economic potential all provide reason to be optimistic about the future of Africa's aviation sector. Yet many governments still see the industry as a cash cow or point of national pride. Liberalization will certainly come to the market on the continent, ...
Opinion: The mysterious case of CEOs turning green
It is unusual when CEOs purport to define their companies’ overarching objectives – that’s the shareholders’ job. Things become even curiouser when top managers team up with an international bureaucracy to call for the imposition of tighter environmental standards on business. Look for mundane motives, like sending out a profit warning ...
Focus Germany: Foreign trade – clouds on the horizon
German trade statistics are sagging. Most commentators attribute this phenomenon to the global business cycle. More likely, today’s figures are the outcome of earlier decisions made by German companies to move resources outside of Europe, and they are now developing their products elsewhere. If true, German foreign trade flows will ...
