Series: Trade Terms Explained
Understand the lingo, rules, and history of trade policy.
WTO Reform Tracker
With the WTO under stress and grappling with a global economy that has evolved past global trade rules negotiated in the 90's, some countries have proposed reforms and updates to the WTO. This database organizes and summarizes those proposals.
The WTO At a Crossroad: Three Scenarios
Despite the invaluable role the World Trade Organization (WTO) has played in the global economy, it faces potentially fatal pressure from within and outside the organization. Here are three scenarios that could play out in the coming years.
Crash Course: Trade Policy with the Trade Guys
Are you new to international trade, or looking for a refresher course on American trade policy? CSIS Executive Education is pleased to offer "Crash Course," a one-day seminar on the fundamentals of U.S. international trade policy and politics.
Who Actually Pays Tariffs?
In this explainer, CSIS breaks down how tariffs work, who pays them, and what they mean for consumers and businesses.
Subsidies and Trade: A Tricky Combination
When governments mix subsidies and international trade, you’ve got a recipe for tariffs. What are subsidies, how do they impact international trade, and how can governments respond to subsidies? Watch this video with Trade Guy Bill Reinsch to find out more.
Saturday Night, Saturday Night. We All Get Together on Saturday Night!
Three things happened last weekend that deserve brief comment.
Structural Change or Blip?
Are political parties realigning on trade in what may well turn out to be a long-term structural change?
Six Months Later: An Evaluation
Any evaluation must look both at the policy and its implementation—regular readers of this column may remember the story of the grasshopper and the ant. If the latter is flawed, then the merits of the policy end up being little more than a footnote.
Midterm Election Results—What Did It Mean for Trade?
This week’s topic is obvious. The United States had midterm elections last week. What did it mean for trade? That is really two questions: what did the voters say about the president’s trade policy and what, if anything, is likely to change when the new Congress convenes in January?
Services, Services
Our Trade Guys podcast was fortunate last week to have Christine Bliss as our guest. She is president of the Coalition of Service Industries (CSI), the main organization in town representing services companies. The conversation began with what sounded like a softball question but was not: what are services anyway?
What is Dumping?
Being subject to dumping can cause some serious harm and lead to intense fights – and no, we’re not talking about the latest celebrity breakup. In the context of trade, politicians will often blame other countries for “dumping” products into the United States. What are they talking about and, how can companies and the government respond to dumping? Well, like any big breakup, it’s complicated. Watch this video with Trade Guy Bill Reinsch to find out more.
Safeguards: The Dirty Laundry of Trade Policy?
U.S. consumers love choices. But, choice in the U.S. market means American manufacturers face stiff competition at home and abroad.
What’s the “Bretton Woods” System?
While today the U.S. is in a trade war with China, the foundations of international trade were laid to avoid war altogether.
Tariffs Aren’t the Only Way to Control Trade. Non-Tariff Barriers, Explained.
Trade Guys Scott Miller and Bill Reinsch want you to know that the U.S. government has more tools than just tariffs at its fingertips.
Made In...Where? Rules of Origin, Explained.
Rules of origin play a big role in the North American Free Trade Agreement, or NAFTA.