The World Trade Organization After Trump

Can the World Trade Organization survive an era of strategic competition? In this important new article, NYU Professor and WISC Faculty Affiliate Robert Howse argues that predictions of the WTO’s demise are overstated. Rather than collapsing under the weight of renewed great-power competition and the Trump administration’s tariff policies, the WTO is adapting to a changing geopolitical landscape. Drawing on history, Professor Howse shows that the multilateral trading system has long accommodated power politics while continuing to provide value through dialogue, transparency, and cooperation. As trade policy increasingly intersects with national security, industrial policy, and strategic competition, this timely analysis offers a compelling perspective on how the WTO may continue to evolve in a post-neoliberal world.

Link to the full paper.