This Policy Brief evaluates the evolving reasons for and application of the Trump administration’s “reciprocal” tariffs and finds them wanting.

I study the overstatement of economic growth in autocracies by comparing self-reported GDP figures to night-time light recorded by satellites from outer space. I show that the night-time-light elastic...

[FREE TO READ] No sensible government would think of emulating his trade policies as they have his other plans

The paper and accompanying data appendix focus largely on the clout of emerging economies in the WTO, the main arena where global power in trade can be assessed

In 2018 and 2019, the US administration hiked tariffs on imports from China. This column shows that imports from Mexico partly filled the gap, leading to an export and employment surge in Mexico. Using highly disaggregated firm-level data on Mexican exports, combined with detailed employer-employee data, the authors find that US tariffs against China resulted in more employment and higher wages in the Mexican export sector, especially for lower-wage workers such as female, unskilled, and younger employees. The effects were concentrated in technology and skill-intensive manufacturing industries such as chemicals and automotives.

A report also finds right-leaning audiences on X have almost doubled in the UK since Elon Musk's takeover.

This flagship event coincides with the 40th anniversary of UNU-WIDER and convenes leading thinkers and policymakers from across the globe to address some of the most press