Rethinking food security in a risky globalised world
When trade disruptions threaten access to food, importers face a hard choice between openness and insurance.
Trade
Tasso Adamopoulos Fernando Leibovici
Published
02.12.25

Learning by trading: How reforming trade policy boosted firm productivity in China
In China, granting firms the right to trade internationally boosted productivity, with gains growing over time and shared with workers through higher wages.
Trade
Yunong Li Yi Lu Jianguo Wang
Published
20.11.25

How terrorism shapes trade: The economic consequences of conflict for exporting firms
Aggregate data can mask micro-level adjustments in the wake of terrorist activities. Administrative data from Pakistan reveals how a major terrorist attack distorted export patterns across firms, products, and regions.
Trade
Zara Liaqat Karrar Hussain
Published
18.11.25

Rethinking trade and development
Once fueled by technology transfer, learning, and open markets, the extraordinary growth driven by globalisation is now constrained by rising geopolitical tensions, fragmentation, and declining trust – making future ‘growth miracles’ far less likely.
Trade
Pinelopi Goldberg Michele Ruta
Published
12.11.25

From imports to imitation: How R&D subsidies drove industrial growth in Brazil
Brazil’s R&D subsidy programme spurred long-term growth by helping financially constrained companies adopt foreign technologies and expand into high-tariff markets through import substitution.
Trade
Gustavo de Souza
Published
13.11.25

Why workers at exporting firms learn and earn more
Workers at exporting firms experience more rapid skill and productivity growth, especially when firms export to high-income destinations, thereby amplifying the overall gains from trade.
Trade
Xiao Ma Marc Muendler Alejandro Nakab
Published
04.11.25

How foreign direct investment shapes Africa’s role in global value chains
Greenfield investment plays a critical role in Africa’s integration into global value chains, with inward investment in manufacturing boosting forward participation, while outward African investment in services enhances overall participation.
Trade
Prachi Agarwal Anirudh Shingal
Published
03.10.25

Bridging the digital divide in global trade
Digital connectivity boosts export participation in developed countries by lowering trade costs for a wide range of firms, but in developing regions it disproportionately benefits only the most productive exporters, forcing smaller firms out of globa...
Trade
Joël Cariolle Jaime De Melo Michele Imbruno
Published
28.08.25

The development bogeyman? Understanding the true role of middlemen
How can intermediaries improve consumer welfare in developing countries?
Trade
Meredith Startz
Published
20.08.25