Financial Times FT.com

The New Protectionism

Resources

GE attacks protection of green industries

Protectionism in environmental industries is undermining the fight against global warming and holding back the creation of green jobs, the company has warned

Business, not bureaucrats will get trade moving

Few people working in companies will pay heed to empty pieties emanating from Pittsburgh. It is businesses and consumers, not bureaucrats, that will get trade moving again

Australia warns on foreign investment

Australia’s foreign investment regulator said Canberra had a clear preference for foreign investments in its large companies to be kept below 15 per cent in comments that will be greeted warily by Chinese investors

Plea to exempt Canada from ‘Buy American’

The country’s prime minister hopes to persuade Barack Obama to change provisions in the US stimulus package, although Ottawa’s own free trade credentials have come under fire

G20 nations break ‘no protectionism’ vow

The world’s leading economies have continued to break their pledge of no protectionism with a raft of restrictions on trade and investment, say two authoritative reports

Related content and features

Comment

Getting a grip on Chinese tyres

Barack Obama’s ruling will worsen tension, but unless it proves to be the first in a string of bad decisions, it need not be catastrophic. Cool heads can stop a global trade conflagration

Obama’s decision on tariffs is calculated cynicism

The US may import fewer tyres from China, but this decision is not going to jumpstart moribund domestic tyre production. This is protectionism without the protection, writes Charles Freeman

Regulatory protectionism won’t stop shocks

The fall out from the financial crisis had a far-reaching impact, but putting the brakes on globalisation is not the right answer, writes Henny Sender

Seeking protection

Perhaps transparency measures are having an effect in moderating trade restrictions. But letting in sunlight on protectionism is not enough to kill it outright

Insight: Protectionism comes knocking

A fundamental protectionist threat lies in global imbalances, which are at root of the financial crisis, writes John Plender

The perils of trade protectionism

The US must come to terms with its limited ability to muscle China into doing what it wants. China must keep adapting to a rule-based global trading order

Narrow-minded leadership hurts Europe

The protectionism we are experiencing now is caused by co-ordination failure. It is neither sudden, nor surprising, writes Wolfgang Münchau

Protectionism could sink the EU

A retreat from the goals of the European Union by its leaders into individual financial nationalism cannot be dismissed as an understandable response

Lex

To serve and protect

Economic nationalism, it is argued, will tip the world into a Great Depression. This is a horrifying but distant prospect

    Economic patriotism

    When a government can spray round a trillion dollars on more or less what it pleases, everything gets political real fast

      Video

      Risks of ‘deglobalisation’

      Gordon Brown

      Gordon Brown on the rise of financial isolationism

      Fall-out from the crisis

      Pascal Lamy

      The head of the World Trade Organisation on his fears of rising protectionism

      Trade outlook

      Justin Lin

      The World Bank’s chief economist on how protectionism could affect the economic outlook

      Changes to global trade

      John Mullen

      The chief of DHL Express on why protectionism is a serious risk to prosperity

      More Stories

      China turns to WTO in trade dispute

      US tyre duties spark China clash

      EU opens door to ending US trade row

      ‘Murky protectionism’ worries Tokyo

      Obama urged to ‘make the case’ for free trade

      Bankers warn over financial protectionism

      Downturn sees protectionist probes rise

      WTO warns on barriers to trade

      Tyre ruling to test Obama’s trade policy

      Beijing rejects protectionism charge

      Asian economies feel pull of protectionism

      Tug-of-war over ‘Buy American’

      ‘421 project’ to boost China exports

      Nigeria to lift ban on foreign bank takeovers

      ‘Buy China’ policy set to raise tensions

      PM sets his sights on protectionism

      Protectionist fears over China stimulus

      Obama urged to curb Buy American plan

      US backs new approach to Doha negotiations

      US lawmakers to revive China tariff bill