European Studies Quarterly

Protectionism and the global trade stagnation

2020, 2020, No. 4

Alessandro Vitale

0000-0001-7016-5722

DOI

10.31338/1641-2478pe.4.20.12

Publication date

14.12.2020

Publishing model

open access

License type

CC BY 4.0 Int.

Field

Social sciences

Discipline

economics and finance, communication and media studies, political science and public administration, management and quality studies, law, sociology, international relations

Language of publication

Polish, English

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Abstract

The protectionism of the last twelve years is forcing many countries to backtrack in the face of the devastating consequences of those policies on their economies and the world trade. The pandemic COVID-19 has highlighted even more how those policies may be destructive and produce impoverishment. The current global pandemic crisis is producing an abrupt and probably very long braking effect on international trade. However, it would be wrong to consider it as the exclusive or the most important cause of global trade stagnation. In fact, the ground had already been prepared by the economic-financial crisis of 2007–2008 and in particular by the choices of “economic nationalism” of neo-protectionist type, which made a precise political use of the modern linear border. Globalisation means mainly the overcoming of political barriers, borders, and the opening to the global free trade market. On the contrary, it is now still hindered by heavy political factors, among which protectionism has been the main one for many years. Those policies, implemented on the large areas by major world powers, have caused a long phase of “de-globalisation”, characterised by the renewed use of the modern border to enclose economies, well before the pandemic crisis.

Keywords:

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