Globalisation
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EU trade defence faces tough choices on China
The US decision to increase tariffs on China puts additional pressure on the EU to take similar action – but there is the risk of Chinese retaliation. A brief discussion. Continue reading
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Disorder in the 21st century: Geopolitical, economic and democratic challenges
A book review of “Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century” by Professor Helen Thompson. Continue reading
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Drawing Multilateralism: Everyday Diplomacy in the World Trade Organization
The essence of diplomacy is communicating and promoting national interests on the world stage. But how is this accomplished in practice? Who talks to whom? How regularly? And with what effect? The diplomatic exchanges in the World Trade Organization (WTO)… Continue reading
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No signs of sweeping WTO reform
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is in urgent need of reform. But recent proposals for institutional changes are limited in scope and primarily serve the interests of advanced economies. Developing countries should seize this opportunity to promote their own ideas… Continue reading
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Grundlegende WTO Reform nicht in Sicht
Die Welthandelsorganisation (WTO) muss dringend reformiert werden. Die vorliegenden Reformvorschläge dienen jedoch vor allem den Interessen der Industrieländer. Die Entwicklungsländer sollten gemeinsam eigene Vorschläge in die Debatte einbringen. Continue reading
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Why Authoritarian Regimes in Africa Commit to Continental Democracy Provisions
In a new draft paper prepared for the 59th Annual Convention of the International Studies Association (ISA) in San Francisco, we examine why authoritarian regimes in Africa formally support and ratify continental provisions aimed at democracy-promotion. Here’s the abstract. Continue reading
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The Role of Plurilateral Agreements in the UK’s Post-Brexit Trade Strategy
A well-received piece on plurilateral trade agreements and their place in Britain’s Brexit strategy. First published on 16 January with the UK Trade Forum. Continue reading
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The Spaghetti Bowl: Visualising the Proliferation of Preferential Trade Agreements
The world of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) is rapidly evolving: governments increasingly negotiate on the bilateral and regional level. This activity has created a complex web of PTAs spanning the globe. Economics professor Jagdish Baghwati likened the phenomenon to a “spaghetti bowl” in the… Continue reading
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New Article on the Future of Global Trade
The current issue of Nueva Sociedad contains our new article titled “Malestar en el libre comercio: Un nuevo rol para la OMC“, which was jointly written with Clara Weinhardt. A shorter and more pointed version of our argument in English… Continue reading
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Inclusive and fair trade, not protectionism, will restore trust in global trade
In our most recent comment in International Politics and Society, Clara Weinhardt and I argue that institutional reform at the WTO level and fair distributional policies on the domestic level are crucial to reduce income inequality and restore trust in… Continue reading
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New Article on the Precarious Legitimacy of Transnational Trade Governance
Prof. Christian Joerges of the Hertie School of Governance and I recently finished our work on a book chapter that examines the impact of modern trade agreements on democratic policy-making and the ways in which their effects on national governance can… Continue reading
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Fair handeln
In vielen afrikanischen Ländern herrscht Armut, ihre Einwohner sehnen sich nach einem besseren Leben – und flüchten. Schaffen neue Handelsabkommen Abhilfe? Gastbeitrag für das Magazin enkelfähig zusammen mit Clara Weinhardt Seit 15 Jahren verhandelt die Europäische Union mit Ländern in… Continue reading
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Global Trends in Regime Development and Democratisation
I recently worked with a few fascinating datasets that describe the transformation and democratisation of national governments over the last decades. Based on this very comprehensive data, this post discusses important trends in global regime development from 1972 to 2015… Continue reading
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Read my new Article in the Strategic Trade Review
I just received the good news that my research article on the state of export controls for cyber-surveillance technologies was published. Here’s a direct link to my article in the Strategic Trade Review, a peer-reviewed journal that specialises on topics such as… Continue reading
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The Economic Impact of Sanctions against Russia on EU Member States
While attending a workshop on international sanctions a few weeks ago, I was fortunate to meet the author of the fascinating and very recent article “The Redistributive Impact of Restrictive Measures on EU Members: Winners and Losers from Imposing Sanctions on Russia“. Much has been… Continue reading
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Award for my Master’s thesis on export controls
I recently received an ‘Aquila ascendens’ award for young academics working on security policy for my Master’s thesis on export controls for cyber-surveillance technologies. This prize is awarded on an annual basis by the DialogForum Sicherheitspolitik and the Working Group on Security Policy of the Bundeswehr… Continue reading
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An Example of the Successful Use of Export Taxes and Its Value for North-South Trade Negotiations
A recurring problem in the discussion on North-South trade relations is identifying good examples that show how controversial – trade-distorting – policy instruments are successfully used to promote economic development. The search is not a purely academic exercise as the case studies can be used… Continue reading
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The UK-EU Trade Relationship: Part II
Looking again at UK trade data, I discuss what tariff costs UK exporters would face in the unlikely scenario that no Brexit deal (or interim trade agreement) can be reached and commercial relations would have to continue on a ‘most… Continue reading
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A Conflicts-Law Response to the Precarious Legitimacy of Transnational Trade Governance
I am currently working on the revision of a research article on the tensions between new deep and comprehensive trade agreements – read as: CETA, TTIP – and democratic politics. It includes some important findings of a joint research project with… Continue reading
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The UK-EU Trade Relationship: Part I
In light of the lively discussion over the UK’s future trade agenda, I take a brief look at the UK’s existing economic ties with Europe and beyond. Given the intricacies of these relations, more posts on this topic will follow. 1.… Continue reading
Fabian Bohnenberger 