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Curated by Project Syndicate

The Strange Death of Free Trade

28 commentaries

Donald Trump has cast the first protectionist stones by withdrawing the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership and telling Mexico and Canada that he wants to replace NAFTA with bilateral trade agreements. Is the demise of the post-war global economic order now inevitable?

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  1. In Defense of Globalization
    Women in Kinshasa Eduardo Soteras/Stringer

    In Defense of Globalization

    Jan 17, 2017 Jim O'Neill argues that trade is not zero-sum – and that we need more of it if we are to eradicate poverty.

  2. The Challenge of Economic Inclusion
    Cashier in Portland Portland Press Herald

    The Challenge of Economic Inclusion

    Jan 11, 2017 Christine Lagarde proposes steps to address the main challenges policymakers will confront in 2017.

  3. Trump’s Gathering Trade War
    roach72_Johannes Eisele_AFP_Getty Images_trump china Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

    Trump’s Gathering Trade War

    Dec 26, 2016 Stephen S. Roach foresees disaster in the incoming administration's evident intention to squeeze China.

  4. Investing in a Closed-Border World
    India Economy Narinder Nanu/Stringer

    Investing in a Closed-Border World

    Dec 22, 2016 Christopher Smart foresees how new protectionist measures will compel companies to revamp their business models.

  5. Don’t Cry Over Dead Trade Agreements
    WTO Geneva Fabrice Coffrini/Getty Images

    Don’t Cry Over Dead Trade Agreements

    Dec 8, 2016 Dani Rodrik explains why no one should mourn the passing of the TPP and the TTIP.

  6. Why Multilateralism Still Matters
    Traffic in LA/ USA pollution Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

    Why Multilateralism Still Matters

    Nov 29, 2016 Javier Solana argues that the world is past the point of closed borders and unilateral solutions.

Our Pick

Featured

  1. palacio156_ Georg Moritzpicture alliance via Getty Images_immigation Georg Moritz/picture alliance via Getty Images
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    Why the EU’s New Migration Pact Matters

    Ana Palacio applauds the pragmatic coalition-building, especially by Italy’s Giorgia Meloni, that enabled the deal.
  2. kirchschlager1_Fatih AktasAnadolu Agency via Getty Images_AI Fatih AktasAnadolu Agency via Getty Images
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    AI Needs UN Oversight

    Peter G. Kirchschläger calls for the creation of a watchdog – similar to the IAEA – that employs a human rights-based approach.
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    The West Is Hastening Its Own Decline

    Brahma Chellaney argues that the unprecedented US and European sanctions against Russia are backfiring.
  4. zizek29_Sebastian Gollnowpicture alliance via Getty Images_palestine congress germany Sebastian Gollnowpicture alliance via Getty Images
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    Canceling Palestine

    Slavoj Žižek

    Current debates about Israeli policy are rife with double standards, leading to absurd decisions like Germany’s recent cancellation of a pro-Palestinian gathering. By quashing legitimate speech and assembly, an Israel-aligned establishment risks inciting precisely the kind of anti-Semitism that it wants to prevent.

     worries that the double standards applied on Israel’s behalf will lead to an anti-Semitic backlash.
  5. ackerman2_Brian van der Brug Los Angeles Times via Getty Images_preschool Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
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    America’s Childcare Is Unfit for the Postmodern Age

    Bruce Ackerman urges US President Joe Biden to put universal preschool at the center of his re-election campaign.
  6. acemoglu72_ Hulton ArchiveGetty Images_cottonhandweaving Hulton Archive/Getty Images
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    History Already Tells Us the Future of AI

    Daron Acemoglu & Simon Johnson find policy lessons for the 2020s in the work of the early-nineteenth-century economist David Ricardo.
  7. silber3_William Thomas CainGetty Images_trumpplazahotel William Thomas Cain/Getty Images
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    Trump and the Risk of a US Debt Default

    William L. Silber thinks the former president would be even more reckless if awarded another term this year.
  8. lboone2_Celestino ArceNurPhoto via Getty Images_ukraine Celestino Arce/NurPhoto via Getty Images
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    Europe’s Red Tape Is Helping Russia

    Laurence Boone & Nicu Popescu propose a European Defense Production Act to help fast-track processes for public procurement and spending.
  9. posner31_Spencer PlattGetty Images_trumptrial Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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    What to Look for in Trump’s First Trial

    Eric Posner

    The intricate legal issues and colorful characters in Donald Trump's criminal trials will undoubtedly keep the media and the viewing public enraptured for months to come. But when it comes to the 2024 election, all that really matters is how the defendant appears to a narrow sliver of undecided voters.

     points out that optics, more than the law or the facts, will be what matters most for the election.

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