Trade

Trade policy around the globe is undergoing fascinating changes. It truly is an important time to study and understand the implications of trade decisions. Since the Bretton Woods institutions were founded, trade has more or less gone through waves of liberalization, particularly in the 1990s with the creation of the World Trade Organization. Recent events, though, have indicated shifts in the normative trade regime. China's Belt and Road initiative, for instance, has marked the introduction of influential norms and institutions that will shape the future of global trade. As the locus of economic activity continues to shift to the East, trade policy will play a central role in the decisions faced by countries.

Areas of Research:

Rise of BITS

The increasing use of BITS in trade agreements has led to renewed interest for researchers in recent years. Many countries refused to ratify BITS agreements in the 1990s for fear of sovereignty infractions. However, they have become more readily accepted and this will have important consequences for the kind of investment infrastructure that facilitates interactions between countries.

Non-Tariff Measure Behavior Determinants

This area of research focus is particularly useful to understand because the use of non-tariff measures has grown dramatically in recent years. Indeed, through waves of liberalization, the prevalence of non-tariff measures has increased in certain areas. This area, then, will study the context of NTMs.

Global History Project

World History may be in a period of disciplinary self-reflection as nationalism rises, but the analysis of trade demands an understanding from a world history perspective. This research project can help understand the forces at play today as countries continue to navigate a web of international connections.