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Trade distortion and protectionism

Protectionism is on the rise, after decades of market opening and globalization. Understand the causes and effects of tariffs, quotas, export controls, trade sanctions, currency manipulation and other non-tariff measures on trade, globalization, competition and consumer welfare.

Such protectionism is usually implemented by governments to shield their domestic producers. The resulting distortions adversely impact international trade flows and economic efficiencies.

Our trade distortion and protectionism experts & contributors

Get access to proven experience and fresh thinking in cross-border trade, policy and business. Drawn from a wide range of disciplines and sectors, our experts offer valuable views and opinions on achieving sustainable global trade.

Jennifer Brant

Executive Director, Innovation Council and CEO and Founder, Innovation Insights

Christopher Clague

Writer and adviser on trade, globalization, and geopolitics

C. Peter Timmer

Thomas D. Cabot Emeritus Professor of Development Studies, Harvard University

Jia Hui Tee

Senior Trade Policy Analyst, Hinrich Foundation

Stephen Olson

Former Senior Research Fellow, Hinrich Foundation

Areas of expertise

Sustainable trade
WTO
Trade negotiations
Free trade agreements
Tariffs & non-tariff barriers

Alicia Garcia Herrero

Chief Economist for Asia Pacific, NATIXIS

Areas of expertise

Economic impacts of trade
Macroeconomic policy
Asian economics

Stewart Paterson

Research Fellow, Hinrich Foundation

Areas of expertise

Macroeconomics
Monetary policy
Political economy

Darren Anderson

Director, Oxford Economics (Australia)

Daniel Crook

Senior Economist, Oxford Economics Australia

Kieran Thompson

Sector Manager, Defence Advanced Manufacturing and Technology, Dragoman

Holly Smith

Consultant

Areas of expertise

US-China trade
Protectionism
WTO

Amitendu Palit

Senior Research Fellow; and Research Lead (Trade and Economics)

Peter Drysdale

Emeritus Professor of Economics, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University

Charlie Barnes

Editorial staff, East Asia Forum

Johan Norberg

Senior Fellow, Cato Institute and the European Centre for International Political Economy (ECIPE)

Rhea C. Hernando

Economic and Policy Researcher, APEC Policy Support Unit

Carlos Kuriyama

Senior Analyst, APEC Secretariat’s Policy Support Unit

Alice Calder

Freelance writer and economist

Areas of expertise

Immigration and international trade
Innovation and entrepreneurship
Economics and culture

Milton L. Mueller

Professor and Program Director, School of Public Policy and School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, Georgia Institute of Technology

Andrea Durkin

Former Principal of Sparkplug, LLC and creator of Consensus Learning, LLC

Areas of expertise

US-China relations
WTO
Tariffs and trade barriers

Deborah Elms

Head of Trade Policy, Hinrich Foundation

Areas of expertise

WTO
Trade policy
Tariffs
Free trade agreements
Intellectual property rights
Digital trade
Trade and climate
Trade facilitation
Geoeconomics
Supply chains
Goods, services, customs, investments, MSMEs

Keith M. Rockwell

Senior Research Fellow, Hinrich Foundation

Areas of expertise

WTO
Trade policy
Free trade agreements
Trade negotiations
Tariffs
Macroeconomics

Daniel Ikenson

Director of Policy Research, NDP | Analytics

Simon J. Evenett

Professor of International Trade and Economic Development, University of St Gallen, and Founder, Global Trade Alert

Areas of expertise

International trade policy
National competition law
Economic development

Johannes Fritz

CEO, St Gallen Endowment for Prosperity Through Trade

Alex Capri

Research Fellow, Hinrich Foundation and lecturer, NUS Business School

Areas of expertise

Technology and trade
Global value chains
Tariffs and non-tariff barriers

Pragya Bhatnagar

Former Research Associate, Hinrich Foundation

Areas of expertise

Tariffs and trade barriers
US-India relations

Lorand Laskai

Visiting Researcher, Georgetown’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology (CSET)

Anne Kim

Editor, Washington Monthly, and Author of Abandoned: America’s Lost Youth and the Crisis of Disconnection

Leslie Griffin

Principal, Allinea LLC

Christine McDaniel

Senior Research Fellow, Mercatus Center

Danielle Parks

Research Assistant, University of Virginia

Gabriella Beaumont-Smith

Policy Analyst, Macroeconomics, The Heritage Foundation

Amitrajeet A. Batabyal

Professor of Economics, Rochester Institute of Technology

Ian Bremmer

President and Founder, Eurasia Group

Gary Clyde Hufbauer

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics