Debates about Trade: Why Rhetoric trumps Reality

Why do political debates about trade so often feel like theatre? From “tariffs paid by foreigners" to promises of “taking back control”, the public discussion around trade policy is routinely reduced to slogans because the real trade-offs are politically inconvenient.

Join Pascal Lamy, former EU Commissioner for Trade and Director-General of the WTO, and Dmitry Grozoubinski, former Australian trade negotiator, for a candid conversation on the incentives, myths and misunderstandings that shape public arguments about trade. Together, they unpack why misleading narratives remain so resilient before offering some practical advice for spotting false claims.

The discussion is moderated by Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki, Advisor for Trade and Economic Security at the Jacques Delors Institute, and will include a Q&A with the audience.

This event is part of the PSIA-Jacques Delors Institute trade event series. 

With: 

• Dmitry Grozoubinski, Executive Director, Geneva Trade Platform
• Pascal Lamy, Coordinator of the Jacques Delors Institutes (Paris, Berlin, Brussels); former Director-General of the World Trade Organisation

Moderated by Nicolas Köhler-Suzuki, Associate Researcher, Jacques Delors Institute

Watch the replay of the event.