World Trade Research Articles

Modern Industrial Policy and the World Trade Organization

This article surveys the economics of industrial policy as it relates to the World Trade Organization (WTO). Motivated by concern that the modern use of industrial policy is emerging in ways that threaten cooperation in the international trading system, the article begins with the basic historical economic framework for tying industrial policy to underlying market failures. It then introduces the dominant economic understanding of the role played by the WTO, examining the WTO's rules on subsidies (and thus industrial policy), the unease with the evolution of the trading system's subsidy rules, gaps in knowledge, and important data and measurement shortcomings. The main part of the article examines four areas in which modern industrial policy operates differently and has become especially important for the trading system: China, supply chain resilience, supply chain responsiveness, and climate change. The article identifies the evidence to date, open questions, and potential paths forward for economic research to help inform policymakers’ efforts to restore international economic cooperation in trade and industrial policy.

Mutual reinforcement of land-based carbon dioxide removal and international emissions trading in deep decarbonization scenarios

Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies and international emissions trading are both widely represented in climate change mitigation scenarios, but the interplay among them has not been closely examined. By systematically varying key policy and technology assumptions in a global energy-economic model, we find that CDR and international emissions trading are mutually reinforcing in deep decarbonization scenarios. This occurs because CDR potential is not evenly distributed geographically, allowing trade to unlock this potential, and because trading in a net-zero emissions world requires negative emissions, allowing CDR to enable trade. Since carbon prices change in the opposite direction as the quantity of permits traded and CDR deployed, we find that the total amount spent on emissions trading and the revenue received by CDR producers do not vary strongly with constraints on emissions trading or CDR. However, spending is more efficient and GDP is higher when both CDR and trading are available.

Exposure to the World Trade Center Particulate Matter Alters the Gut-Brain Axis in Early Onset Alzheimer's Disease Mice.

The September 11, 2001, catastrophe unleashed widespread destruction beyond the World Center (WTC), with fires and toxic gases leaving lasting impacts. First responders at Ground Zero faced prolonged exposure to hazardous particulate matter (PM), resulting in chronic health challenges. Among the multitude of health concerns, the potential association between the WTCPM and Alzheimer's disease (AD) has emerged as an area of intense inquiry, probing the intricate interplay between environmental factors and neurodegenerative diseases. We posit that a genetic predisposition to AD in mice results in dysregulation of the gut-brain axis following chronic exposure to WTCPM. This, in turn, may heighten the risk of AD-like symptoms in these individuals. 3xTg-AD and WT mice were intranasally administered with WTCPM collected at Ground Zero within 72 hours after the attacks. Working memory and learning and recognition memory were monitored for 4 months. Moreover, brain transcriptomic analysis and gut barrier permeability along with microbiome composition were examined. Our findings underscore the deleterious effects of WTCPM on cognitive function, as well as notable alterations in brain genes associated with synaptic plasticity, pro-survival, and inflammatory signaling pathways. Complementary, chronic exposure to the WTCPM led to increased gut permeability in AD mice and altered bacteria composition and expression of functional pathways in the gut. Our results hint at a complex interplay between gut and brain axis, suggesting potential mechanisms through which WTCPM exposure may exacerbate cognitive decline. Identifying these pathways offers opportunities for tailored interventions to alleviate neurological effects among first responders.

Review: Impact of food safety on global trade.

Food safety encompasses the supply and assurance of safe, high-quality food for consumers. It is a crucial aspect of food security, gaining greater global attention due to the increasing number of widespread foodborne incidents. International trade is expanding as countries increasingly rely on each other to secure a sufficient and diverse food supply. Beyond this, concerns about food safety have become more prevalent due to various factors. Therefore, this review aims to investigate the effects of food safety-associated risks on the international trade of food and related products. A total of 37 published studies retrieved using different search engines were included in this review. This review revealed that because of rapid population growth and rising food demand in developing nations, agricultural intensification is growing. It has been found that foodborne illnesses and associated discrepancies can impede the international trade of food commodities. Trade bans due to the fear of foodborne illnesses are growing. The consequences of foodborne diseases are multifaceted and include financial losses from trade restrictions, medical costs for prevention or control, resource depletion and a decline in food production. The overall effects are increased international trade tensions and livelihood vulnerability to poverty, notably for small-scale livestock producers. Potential food contaminants include microbes, pesticides, pharmaceutical residues, heavy metals and fraudulent such as improper food processing, mislabelling, poor packaging, adulteration and substitution. Hence, countries are encouraged to harmonize the rights and duties set by the World Trade Organization under sanitary and phytosanitarys to maximize their advantages in global markets. Based on this evidence, we recommend that each country develop and integrate regulations that would ensure the safety of both domestic and international food production systems. Furthermore, the global community should either revise the current functioning food regulatory and monitoring body or establish a more genuine collaborative network.

Political Prioritization of Access to Medicines and Right to Health: Need for an Effective Global Health Governance Through Global Health Diplomacy Comment on "More Pain, More Gain! The Delivery of COVID-19 Vaccines and the Pharmaceutical Industry’s Role in Widening the Access Gap"

Borges and colleagues’ article entitled "More Pain, More Gain! The Delivery of COVID-19 Vaccines and the Pharmaceutical Industry’s Role in Widening the Access Gap," analyzes the role of pharmaceutical companies in providing equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. They concluded that with the failure of COVID-19 Vaccine Global Access (COVAX), the health gaps have widened due to the profit-driven pharmaceutical sector. In this commentary, we highlight the role of COVAX and its attempt to bridge some access gaps since its inception and the need for reforms in policy-making and global health governance. The commentary highlights the role of global health diplomacy in promoting equity and negotiating the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) waiver for COVID-19 vaccines at the World Trade Organization (WTO) thereby promoting global solidarity, global partnerships, access to medicine and health products, and the right to health. We conclude that political prioritization is the key to balance the impact of profit-driven pharma industry and addressing the needs of low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).

Canada and Japan can play a role in rebuilding a rules-based trade order

The rules-based trade order confronts a crisis as both rule-making and enforcement have stalled in the World Trade Organization (WTO). Locked in great power rivalry, the United States and China are undermining the rules, making it necessary for middle powers like Canada and Japan to lead a coalition to reform the WTO. Working together they should advocate for greater transparency over subsidy policies and guidelines for how to balance security goals with economic cooperation.

Hometown Heroes: Onshoring, Promoting Local Content & WTO Law

Abstract This article examines the complexities and challenges associated with onshoring manufacturing through local content requirements within the context of World Trade Organization (WTO) law. Governments have intensified efforts to relocate production within their territories, leveraging local content requirements and incentives. This shift is primarily justified by the need for supply chain resilience, public health, and national security, aiming to mitigate risks associated with reliance on foreign suppliers during crises. However, these strategies may conflict with WTO obligations, particularly those concerning trade-related investment measures and subsidies. Using pharmaceuticals as a case study, this article explores the rationale, scope, and implications of WTO rules on local content policies. The analysis provides insights into how nations navigate the delicate balance between enhancing domestic capabilities and adhering to international trade laws.

US Trade Policy, China and the World Trade Organization, written by Nerina Boschiero

US Trade Policy, China and the World Trade Organization, written by Nerina Boschiero

Trade liberalization, labor market power, and misallocation across firms: Evidence from China's WTO accession

This paper studies the impact of trade liberalization on the heterogeneity of labor market power among manufacturing firms, which is a potential source of misallocation. The model shows that heterogeneity of labor market power distorts the allocation of the factors of production, and the variance in the natural log of the markdown serves as a sufficient statistic to infer its negative impact on overall production efficiency. Using China's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO) as a natural experiment, the empirical results suggest that lower input tariffs decrease the variance in the natural log of the markdown, which reflects the improvement in misallocation. In contrast, reductions in output tariffs have no significant effects.

Harmonizing innovation and regulation: The EU Artificial Intelligence Act in the international trade context

The European Union's Artificial Intelligence Act focuses on establishing harmonized rules across EU Member States so that AI systems are safe, transparent, and respectful of existing laws and fundamental rights. It introduces a risk-based regulatory approach, classifying AI applications by risk levels and imposing stringent compliance requirements on high-risk applications. The paper critically examines the Act's provisions, including its prohibitions on certain AI practices, requirements for high-risk AI systems, and mandates for transparency and human oversight. The paper examines the implications of the Act for international trade and technological regulation, particularly in the context of the World Trade Organization's Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) Agreement. It addresses the Act's potential impact on developing countries, highlighting concerns that the Act's uniform standards could potentially exacerbate the digital divide and create barriers in global AI innovation and trade. The paper suggests incorporating flexibility and differential standards in the Act, enhancing technical assistance for developing countries, and advocating the EU's active participation in global standard-setting.

World Trade Center (wtc) related exposures and cardiometabolic risk among the wtc Health Program General Responder Cohort

World Trade Center (wtc) related exposures and cardiometabolic risk among the wtc Health Program General Responder Cohort

Long-term reorganization of structural and functional connectivity among World Trade Center responders with post-traumatic stress disorder: a data-driven multimodal approach

Long-term reorganization of structural and functional connectivity among World Trade Center responders with post-traumatic stress disorder: a data-driven multimodal approach

How Product Standards Influence Tea Exports? Empirical Evidence from India

India has witnessed a declining trend in tea exports in the recent period, which can partly be attributed to competition from exporters (e.g., Kenya and Sri Lanka) enjoying price advantages over the Indian varieties. However, although after the inception of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in 1995, the tariff barriers on Indian tea exports have come down across developed partners, the incidence of non-tariff barriers (NTBs) has emerged as a challenge in many destinations, with a possible dampening effect on exports. The present analysis attempts to analyse whether the imposition of product standard related measures, particularly sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) interventions, may have negatively influenced Indian tea exports over the period 1996–2021. Rather than considering the mere presence of SPS–TBT standards in major partner countries, their potential impacts on Indian tea exports have been determined by analysing the stringency levels of the corresponding notifications submitted to the WTO. The constructed stringency patterns are then incorporated into the Poisson pseudo maximum likelihood estimation models. The observed negative influence of standard-related measures in partner countries on Indian tea exports calls for policy interventions to enable the sector to better ensure compliance in the future.

Legal Challenges and Opportunities in World Trade Organization Agreements: A Comparative Analysis of Member States

The World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements have a broad and complex impact on its member countries, especially regarding trade policy and global economic justice. Legal challenges in implementing these agreements, including harmonization between national and international law, as well as domestic political and economic dynamics, add to the complexity of their implementation. In addition, the WTO agreements also offer significant opportunities for member countries, such as wider market access and increased foreign investment. This study aims to analyze the long-term impact of the WTO agreements on trade policy, economic justice, and sustainable development in its member countries. This study uses a qualitative approach, with data obtained from various relevant sources such as research results and previous studies, which are then processed and analyzed in depth. The results show that the WTO agreements significantly shape the direction of member countries' future trade policies, with a greater impact felt by developing countries. Global economic injustice has emerged as one of the consequences of the implementation of these agreements, where developed countries are better able to utilize WTO provisions. On the other hand, the environmental and social impacts of implementing the WTO agreements are concerns that require better integration into trade policy. Projections of future challenges suggest that the WTO must continue to adapt to global changes to remain relevant and effective. Overall, this study highlights the need for a balance between trade liberalization and the protection of social and environmental values ​​within the WTO framework.

Maximizing Trade Benefits Through Strategic WTO Dispute Filings: A Quantitative Analysis of Optimal Initiation

The study investigates the asymmetrical distribution of bilateral dispute initiations at the World Trade Organization Dispute Settlement System (WTO-DSS) between specific country pairs. The study introduces a novel concept of dispute depth to examine how the asymmetrical bilateral dispute initiation affects bilateral trade among disputing dyads and to optimize the number of disputes that a country should file to maximize its trade benefit. By using the augmented Structural Gravity Model of trade and the PPMLHDFE estimator with extensive trade data for the years 1995–2022, across selected WTO member countries, the article demonstrates that an increase in the dispute depth decreases the bilateral trade between disputing dyads. Further, the study finds that the WTO member countries should strategically file no more than three disputes per year to maximize their trade gains. The study has important ramifications in the ambiguous world of WTO-DSS and paves the way for implementing the optimal number of disputes into trade dispute strategy, policy-making decisions and business environment of the constantly evolving international trade landscape.

CPTPP Intellectual Property Rules and China's Response

In the complex and changeable international environment, due to the serious crisis of the multilateral trading system of the World Trade Organization and the influence of trade protectionism of Western countries, the United States and other developed countries try to promote trade facilitation through institutional changes and innovations in the field of intellectual property in order to seek more benefits. In order to avoid being marginalized in the reconstruction of international economic and trade rules and affecting trade exchanges between China and other countries, China formally submitted a written application to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in 2021. The CPTPP, which came into effect in 2018, covers a wide range of content, comprehensive and high standards. So far, the issue of intellectual property is still one of the most important issues that some countries want to solve if they want to join the CPTPP. Although CPTPP shelve the 11 high-standard provisions in TPP, there is still a certain gap between China's intellectual property legal system and the CPTPP intellectual property rules at present. In order to successfully connect with the CPTPP intellectual property rules, it is necessary for China to conduct a comprehensive investigation of its intellectual property text and analyze the differences between it and the domestic intellectual property legal system. And put forward countermeasures.

Analisa Penyebab Short Cargo terhadap Muatan Soda Ash pada Pelabuhan Java Intergrated Industrial and Port Estate (JIIPE)

Indonesia is a country located in a strategic area, this makes the shipping sector in Indonesia a very important means of transportation and carrier in the world of international trade and transportation, making loading and unloading services mostly carried out in Indonesia. Therefore, the author conducted research to find out the process of unloading soda ash cargo at JIIPE Port and to find out the causes of short cargo occurring in soda ash cargo at JIIPE Port. This research was carried out with the aim of finding out the process of unloading soda ash at JIIPE port, then to find out the causes of short cargo in the performance of soda ash unloading at JIIPE port. In conducting this research the author used qualitative research methods with techniques in the form of conducting observations, interviews with the staff concerned, and carrying out documentation. From the results of observations, interviews and documentation of findings that the author obtained when conducting research, namely that there was a leak of soda ash cargo in the unloading equipment during soda ash unloading activities at JIIPE port which caused the soda ash cargo to become short cargo from the predetermined manifest. By implementing correct operational standards and using appropriate tools, it is hoped that the process of unloading soda ash can be improved and can minimize short cargo incidents when unloading soda ash. It is hoped that the results of this research will provide insight for loading and unloading companies to reduce losses due to short cargo and can also optimize logistics services at the Java Integrated Industrial and Port Estate port.

Biomarkers of Airway Disease, Barrett’s and Underdiagnosed Reflux Noninvasively (BAD-BURN) in World Trade Center exposed firefighters: a case–control observational study protocol

BackgroundParticulate matter exposure (PM) is a cause of aerodigestive disease globally. The destruction of the World Trade Center (WTC) exposed first responders and inhabitants of New York City to WTC-PM and caused obstructive airways disease (OAD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and Barrett’s Esophagus (BE). GERD not only diminishes health-related quality of life but also gives rise to complications that extend beyond the scope of BE. GERD can incite or exacerbate allergies, sinusitis, bronchitis, and asthma. Disease features of the aerodigestive axis can overlap, often necessitating more invasive diagnostic testing and treatment modalities. This presents a need to develop novel non-invasive biomarkers of GERD, BE, airway hyperreactivity (AHR), treatment efficacy, and severity of symptoms.MethodsOur observational case-cohort study will leverage the longitudinally phenotyped Fire Department of New York (FDNY)-WTC exposed cohort to identify Biomarkers of Airway Disease, Barrett’s and Underdiagnosed Reflux Noninvasively (BAD-BURN). Our study population consists of n = 4,192 individuals from which we have randomly selected a sub-cohort control group (n = 837). We will then recruit subgroups of i. AHR only ii. GERD only iii. BE iv. GERD/BE and AHR overlap or v. No GERD or AHR, from the sub-cohort control group. We will then phenotype and examine non-invasive biomarkers of these subgroups to identify under-diagnosis and/or treatment efficacy. The findings may further contribute to the development of future biologically plausible therapies, ultimately enhance patient care and quality of life.DiscussionAlthough many studies have suggested interdependence between airway and digestive diseases, the causative factors and specific mechanisms remain unclear. The detection of the disease is further complicated by the invasiveness of conventional GERD diagnosis procedures and the limited availability of disease-specific biomarkers. The management of reflux is important, as it directly increases risk of cancer and negatively impacts quality of life. Therefore, it is vital to develop novel noninvasive disease markers that can effectively phenotype, facilitate early diagnosis of premalignant disease and identify potential therapeutic targets to improve patient care.Trial registrationName of Primary Registry: “Biomarkers of Airway Disease, Barrett's and Underdiagnosed Reflux Noninvasively (BADBURN)”. Trial Identifying Number: NCT05216133. Date of Registration: January 31, 2022.

Sleep disturbances across two weeks predict future mental healthcare utilization.

Insufficient sleep costs the U.S. economy over $411 billion per year. However, most studies investigating economic costs of sleep rely on one-time measures of sleep, which may be prone to recall bias and cannot capture variability in sleep. To address these gaps, we examined how sleep metrics captured from daily sleep diaries predicted medical expenditures. Participants were 391 World Trade Center responders enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Program (mean age = 54.97 years, 89% men). At baseline, participants completed 14 days of self-reported sleep and stress measures. Mean sleep, variability in sleep, and a novel measure of sleep reactivity (i.e., how much people's sleep changes in response to daily stress) were used to predict the subsequent year's medical expenditures, covarying for age, race/ethnicity, sex, medical diagnoses, and body mass index. Mean sleep efficiency did not predict mental healthcare utilization. However, greater sleep efficiency reactivity to stress (b=$191.75, p=.027), sleep duration reactivity to stress (b=$206.33, p=.040), variability in sleep efficiency (b=$339.33, p=.002), variability in sleep duration (b=$260.87, p=.004), and quadratic mean sleep duration (b=$182.37, p=.001) all predicted greater mental healthcare expenditures. Together, these sleep variables explained 12% of the unique variance in mental healthcare expenditures. No sleep variables were significantly associated with physical healthcare expenditures. People with more irregular sleep, more sleep reactivity, and either short or long sleep engage in more mental healthcare utilization. It may be important to address these individuals' sleep problems to improve mental health and reduce healthcare costs.

Legal Analysis of the Applicability of International Cooperation in Addressing Climate Change in the International Trade Sector: Case of the WTO

Climate change has impacts on global society in different aspects, including those on the trade industry. Similarly, the trade industry contributes to global emissions of Greenhouse Gases through different technologies involved, and different rules adopted by the World Trade Organization (WTO) or related agreements. Such circulation of impacts implicates that neither climate change agreements nor the WTO can deal with climate change alone, but through international cooperation. Therefore, this study explores the status of international cooperation between the WTO and the Paris Agreement for addressing climate change in the trade industry. It also assesses different challenges faced by such cooperation, and proposes recommendations to addressing those challenges.