Session 1

11.15 - 12.45

1a Trade Policy and Geopolitics

The Impacts of Economic Sanctions Regimes on International Commercial Arbitration
Mahan Ashouri (MacEwan University)

Who bears the burden? The effects of sanctions on inequality
Anna Köhler (Universität der Bundeswehr München)

Sectoral vs. Firm-Level Sanctions in Trade Policy
Clément Montes (CREST, Institut Polytechnique de Paris)

1b Firm Adjustment to Trade Shocks

Trade and Firm-Level Adjustments to Geopolitical Shifts: Evidence from Armenia
Mushegh Tovmasyan (University Paris-Saclay)

Managerial Strategies and Resilience to Supply Chain Shocks
Thomas Michael Rowley (Institute for European Policymaking, Bocconi University), Giorgio Presidente (Institute for European Policymaking, Bocconi University), Carlo Altomonte (Institute for European Policymaking, Bocconi University), Christoph Weiss (European Investment Bank)

Steel and Aluminium Tariffs: Impact Assessment for the US, UK, and Broader Markets
Jun Du (Centre for Business Prosperity, Aston Business School), Oleksandr Shepotylo (Centre for Business Prosperity, Aston Business School), Yujie Shi (Centre for Business Prosperity, Aston Business School), Lisha He (Centre for Business Prosperity, Aston Business School)

1c Trade and Inequality

Globalization, Inequality and Growth
Giammario Impullitti (CITP and CEPR, University of Nottingham), Mirsad Sipahioglu (University of Nottingham), Zhihong Yu (CITP, University of Nottingham), Adam Hal Spencer (University of Bonn)

Industrial Policy Wars and Inequality: Who Loses and When?
Ziran Ding (University of St Andrews), Adam Hal Spencer (University of Bonn), Zinan Wang (Tianjin University)

The Impact of Digital Technology Adaptation on UK firms and their employment
Maria Savona (CITP, University of Sussex), Dongzhe Zhang (CITP, University of Sussex), Ingo Borchert (CITP, University of Sussex)

1d Trade Law and Global Governance

WTO Security Exception and Existential Threat
Frances Chisomaga Nwadike (University of Southampton)

TRIPS, Strict IPR Regimes, and Development: An Empirical Study of Developing Nations
Anson Jose (Boyd Tandon MCC Business School, Madras Christian College)

Straining the Triangle: Multilateralized Regionalism and the Compliance Trilemma in International Trade
Priyadarshini Venkatesh (Universal Postal Union)

Session 2

14.00 - 15.30

2a Services Trade and Regulation

International Regulatory Cooperation and Services Trade: Argentina and Uruguay Adequacy Decisions on Data Protection
Martina F. Ferracane (Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute), Bernard Hoekman (CITP, European University Institute), Ben Shepherd, Anirudh Shingal

Trade in Services under Regulatory Barriers: Evidence from UK Banking
Shania Bhalotia (The London School of Economics and Political Science), Sophie Piton (Bank of England and Centre for Macroeconomics), John Woods (Bank of England)

Dynamics of the trade elasticity: an investigation of the 2018 US special tariffs
Nicoló Tamberi (University of Sussex)
This paper estimates the dynamics of the trade elasticity, using the 2018 US special tariffs as a natural experiment. Neglecting dynamics or staggered adoption in the estimation leads to downward biases of approximately 50%. The short-run elasticity is -1.4 and a long-run -3.7, with imports adjusting rapidly to tariff changes – most of the effect materializing within the first 15 months. The external validity of the results is checked against two alternative sets of estimates based on external data, one related to total US imports from China and the other on the retaliatory tariffs imposed by the European Union.

 

2b Trade and investment law in an era of protectionism

FDI screening
Agata Dasko (University of Edinburgh) 
The paper examines whether foreign direct investment (FDI) screening mechanisms can be reconciled with inclusive trade policy. Using the UK’s National Security and Investment Act 2021 and the judicial review in L1T FM Holdings as a case study, it explores how national security concerns are balanced against economic openness and international legal obligations (broadly understood). The paper questions the transparency and accountability of screening practices, particularly in light of investor protections under international law. It argues that the relationship between investment screening and inclusivity depends on how key concepts are defined, who exercises oversight, and whose interests are prioritised.

After the fall: the world trade organisation and the fragility of international adjudication
Henry Lovat (Glasgow University)
This paper uses a combined International Law/International Relations lens to assess post-2019 efforts to reform WTO dispute settlement. The analysis suggests that rejudicializing dispute settlement "after the fall" of the Appellate Body - which remains the notional aim of the bulk of the WTO membership - is a forbiddingly challenging prospect given intertwined political and legal constraints. These challenges do not stem solely from US obduracy, moreover, but also reflect wider developments in international politics and governance. In broader perspective, the analysis underlines the fragility of international judicial institutions and in turn highlights associated risks to the 'rules-based international order'.

From trade to tariffs: unpacking the many forms of unilateralism from a development perspective
Aishwarya  Narayanan (The Graduate Institute)
In an era marked by increasing protectionism and the rise of unilateral economic measures, the heyday of globalisation marked by free trade and open borders is long behind us. Unilateral trade restrictions come in many forms – while tariffs have become the buzzword of late, sustainability legislations that adversely impact trade have steadily gained prominence. Developing countries are typically the worst impacted by such measures, necessitating the need for exploring new and improved collaboration mechanisms to promote economic resilience. This paper discusses the steps that developing countries can take to minimise the adverse impacts of such restrictive trade measures.

2c Trade and firm dynamics

Artificial intelligence, trade, and firm dynamics
Pinar Gunes (University of Sussex)

International sourcing, domestic labour costs, and producer prices
Sotiris Blanas (University of Warwick)
Using a representative sample of firms in Belgian manufacturing over 2001Q1–2017Q4, we study the effects of their international sourcing activities and domestic wages on their domestic output prices, as well as the effects of international sourcing on (relative) domestic wages. We provide evidence that is consistent with the cost-saving aspect of international sourcing, but also its input quality-enhancing aspect. Furthermore, we provide evidence pointing to the joint utilisation of higher-quality imported inputs with higher-quality domestic labour for the production of higher-quality outputs that are sold in the domestic market at higher prices.

Market concentration and the welfare gains from trade
Alejandro Graziano (University of Nottingham)

Session 3

16.00 - 17.30

Roundtable: The turbulent UK internal market - territorial politics and economics collide amid legal uncertainties

Chair: Chris McCorkindale (University of Strathclyde)

Panelists: Daniel Wincott (Cardiff University), Ludivine Petetin (Cardiff University), Billy Melo Araujo (Queens University Belfast), Coree Brown Swan (University of Stirling)

Session 4

9.00 - 10.30

4a Firm-level responses to trade barriers

Moving Online under De Minimis? The Trade War and Cross-Border E-Commerce
Zhihong Yu (Nottingham), Te Du (Zhejiang University), Chao Fang (Zhejiang Gongshang University),  Shuzhong Ma (Zhejiang University), Lixin Tang (Jinan University)

International financial openness and manufacturing productivity: A services trade perspective on Bilateral Trade
Bernard Hoekman (EUI, CEPR), Dennis Quinn (Georgetown), Matteo Fiorini (OECD)

Whom do we trust to take trade policy decisions? Evidence from Citizen Juries in the UK
Maria Savona (University of Sussex, Luis University), Maria Livingston-Ortolani (University of Sussex), L. Alan Winters (University of Sussex)

4b Topics

Global value chain upgrading and resilience in a resource-rich economy: the case of Kazakhstan
David De Remer (Nazarbayev University), Venkat Subramanian (Nazarbayev University), Aigerim Yergabulova (Nazarbayev University)
We explore how resource-rich states can foster resilience through industrial policies that enhance the resilience of their firms and global value chains (GVCs). We evaluate Kazakhstan’s policies before and after the Russia-Ukraine war and the COVID-19 pandemic for two cases: uranium, a resource GVC involving state sovereign wealth fund ownership; and medicines, an industrial GVC relying on public procurement. Our analysis supports that indirect state ownership generates greater firm and GVC resilience than direct state ownership. Furthermore, policy focused on state resilience should incorporate the resilience of key producers in resource sectors and regional value chains in industrial sectors.

The matching and sorting of traders and agents
Yangiun Han (Birmingham), Wanyu Chung (University of Birmingham and CEPR), Robert J.R. Elliott (University of Birmingham)

Services Trade Opening and Manufacturing Environmental Performance
Matteo Fiorini (OECD), Cosimo Beverelli (EUI), Enxhi Tresa (OECD)

Session 5

10.50 - 12.20

5a Rethinking trade governance: The role of subnational entities

UK Trade Policy Vacuum: The Rise of Devolved Trade Policies following Brexit
Lindsey Garner-Knapp (Cardiff), Prof Dan Wincott (Cardiff)

Developing a New Approach to Policy Coherence: Post-Brexit UK Trade as a Key Case Study
Alexander Fitzpatrick (Cardiff)

More Overlaps Than Impacts: Mapping the Intersection of UK Trade Agreements and Devolved Competence
Lisa-Claire Whitten (QUB), Billy Melo-Arauja (QUB)

The Neglected Actors of World Trade: Envisioning a Future for the World Trade Organization with Greater Subnational Involvement
Daniela Janikova (QUB)

5b Inclusive Trade Policies

Women and exporting: What do we know, what do we do, and how do we do it?
Norin Arshed (Strathclyde), Dr Carolina Marín-Cadavid (University of Strathclyde), Dr Stephen Knox (University of Stirling)

Integrating Animal Welfare into SPS Commitments: A Smart Move for the UK and the EU?
Carolina Tosci Maciel (Sussex)
Animal welfare is increasingly recognised as a key consideration in international trade negotiations, yet its integration into trade agreements remains a sensitive and evolving issue. The UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) is among the few agreements to incorporate animal welfare, doing so within its sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) chapter. With the TCA set for review in 2026 and both parties updating their agri-food policies and trade strategies, this article examines whether the current approach effectively supports progressive animal welfare protection or if alternative models should be considered to better align with the UK’s and the EU’s broader ambitions in this area.

Do FTA Environmental Provisions Drive Domestic Law Changes?
Adriana Brenis (Sussex), Mattia Di Ubaldo (Sussex)