Non-trade issues and trade agreements

Trade policies are increasingly being used to promote specific values and goals that extend beyond the realm of trade among partners. In fact, the majority of today’s trade agreements incorporate explicit stipulations for partner nations, demanding the safeguarding of labour rights, environmental protection, and civil liberties. These non-trade matters are enforceable in some agreements, while in others, they are non-binding. Furthermore, certain agreements offer technical or financial support to partner countries to facilitate improved results in these non-trade areas. This talk will focus on the importance of these non-trade issues in trade policies evaluate the success or lack thereof in incorporating these issues into trade agreements, and will provide a discussion about the types of mechanisms that could be effective in realizing some of these non-trade goals within trade policies.

This event will take place in-person and will also be livestreamed online.

About the speaker:

Miriam Manchin received her MA in Economics from Corvinus University and from College of Europe, Bruges, and holds her Ph.D. in Economics from the Université Catholique de Louvain. She has previously held research positions at the Tinbergen Institute in Rotterdam, the Centre for European Policy Studies in Brussels, the European Commission, the Centro Studi Luca d’Agliano in Milan, the Kiel Institute, and the Vienna Institute for International Economics. Her current research interests include economic integration, trade agreements, cross-border production chains, business groups, trade and development, trade and institutions, and international migration. She also serves as a co-editor of the World Trade Review.