The economic crisis and the challenge of trade liberalization

The economic outlook that the global crisis has generated makes us go

back in time. Protectionist temptations make us look back to a past in which

countries closed their borders in an attempt to protect their economies. But

this time travel only serves to implement and advance warnings to stay away

from that scenario.

This article analyzes how trade flows have evolved since the outbreak of

the crisis in 2007 and examines countries’ protectionist movements under the

World Trade Organization with a glance toward the possibility of concluding

the Doha Round.