The value of global exports have increased exponentially in the post-War period, facilitated by the creation of the GATT, WTO, and bilateral free trade agreements.

Brief Description of Country: Portugal is one of the oldest countries in the world and was firstly recognized as an independent kingdom in 1143. It is has a prime geostrategic location between Europe, Americas and Africa, on the southern west coast of Europe, inside the Iberian Peninsula. It borders with Spain on the north and east, and with the Atlantic Ocean in the west and south. Besides the continental part in Europe, the Portuguese territory also incorporates the archipelagos of Madeira...

by Maurice Marchand-Tonel, Honorary Chairman, EACC Paris “Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength” (Donald Trump) “No nation was ever ruined by trade” (Benjamin Franklin) In the current debate on President Trump’s view of his “America First” mantra, “international trade” and “globalization” seem to be treated as one and the same thing. True, the two are obviously interconnected: the Tea Party and the ensuing War of Independence were indeed all about free trade within a global system (the tea and sugar...

by Pierre-Marc Johnson, 24th Premier of Quebec and Lead Negotiator for the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) for the Government of Quebec   Trade among nations has come under attack recently by various opinion currents in populist settings, and the partaking in this movement by governments in the USA, Italy, and other countries. Measures have been initiated by the USA that could lead to long-standing impacts of a “trade war”. Criticism of Trade is concentrated, depending on their origins, from...

By Pascal Lamy, former Director-General of the World Trade Organization If there is any seemingly permanent feature of the last decades whose future is now uncertain, it is globalization. Globalization – the intensification of international trade that results in the growing diversity of sites to produce goods and services – is enabled by technology that reduces distance frictions and an ideology that rewards opening because more advanced international divisions of labour boost efficiency. However, the system of international trade is suffering...

by Andrew Chrismer, Lead Editor, EACC Insights What can we make of the state of the global economy today? Who controls it’s many levers, and how can it be regulated or deregulated in a world trade order ever more clouded by protectionism and trade-skepticism? The transatlantic community is dealing with tariffs and redefining friends and foes. Meanwhile, Britain prepares for Brexit and a potential hard landing out of the single market. The tenets of global trade policy set up over...

Greece has stabilized its economy and begun to grow. The authorities deserve credit for largely eliminating macroeconomic imbalances, including via a significant fiscal adjustment, and for many other reforms undertaken in recent years. Reflecting these efforts, European partners have provided significant support, most recently agreeing to a final loan disbursement under the ESM program and additional debt relief. However, as the country exits the program era in August, crisis legacies and an unfinished policy reform agenda in most areas weigh...

How to submit your response: The online questionnaire is accessible in all official EU languages (except Irish) and replies may be submitted in any EU language. We do encourage you to answer as much as possible in English though. You may pause at any time and continue later. Once you have submitted your answers, you can download a copy of your completed responses. You can also upload documents, such as position papers, or send them to the contact e-mail. Received contributions will be...