Who pays the price? International trade policy in the age of trade wars

We are very pleased to welcome Dr Elisabeth Winter, Programme Director Global Markets and Social Justice at the Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation, to the Foundation on Tuesday, 6 May 2025 at 5:15 pm on the topic „Who pays the price? International trade policy in the age of trade wars“.

For a long time, international trade was regarded as one of the pillars of a stable world order. Open markets, international agreements and multilateral institutions were intended to strengthen economic interdependence, defuse political tensions and thus promote international cooperation. However, this order is increasingly under pressure. Countries are imposing high tariffs, focussing on protectionism and breaking international rules. The USA has taken this course, particularly under President Donald Trump. Trump announced high tariffs on imports from other countries. For the EU, this initially meant tariffs of 20 per cent, but these were suspended after just a few days for 90 days and the future remains uncertain.

However, other countries are also increasingly focussing on economic nationalism. The European Union (EU) is imposing additional levies on electric vehicles imported from China. China is making targeted use of trade agreements and investments to gain political influence. For example, China has been investing heavily in infrastructure projects worldwide since 2013 as part of the Belt and Road Initiative – for example in ports, roads, railway lines and power plants. And in light of the new US tariffs, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to drive forward plans to improve our domestic competitiveness so that the UK economy is less vulnerable to these kinds of global shocks.

We are very pleased to welcome Dr Elisabeth Winter, Programme Manager Global Markets and Social Justice at the Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt Foundation, on Tuesday, 6 May at 5.15 pm.

Together with Dr Elisabeth Winter, we want to discuss the following questions, among others: What does this new trade policy mean for Europe and the world? How do trade conflicts affect the economy, jobs and prices? What consequences do they have for countries in the Global South, which are particularly dependent on fair market conditions? How fair is a global economic system that is characterised by power interests? What goals are states pursuing with trade conflicts and punitive tariffs? How do these measures change the balance of the global economy? How can Europe deal with protectionist superpowers such as the USA or China? What responsibility do rich industrialised nations bear in global trade – especially towards poorer countries?

We look forward to your participation and ask you to register online or by e-mail by 5 May 2025.