Francesco Duina: The Future of International Trade

What's in My Sandwich? The Failed EU-US Trade Negotiations and What They Say about the Future

Despite decades of efforts, the EU and the US have not been able to sign a comprehensive trade agreements. In the meanwhile, other global actors like China are increasingly influencing international commerce. What can explain this failure and what does it say about the future? A key reason for the failure have been tensions over GMOs, hormones in beef, and consumer health. EU citizens and civil society organizations have feared a watering down of European standards on those fronts. An additional point of contention has revolved around investments. Is an agreement truly beyond reach, then? Recent developments during the Biden Administration point to cooperation in the area of technology and the Internet. But much remains uncertain. In the meanwhile, the EU has proceeded with considerable success to secure trade agreements with much of the rest of the world. Will US influence wane, then? This talk offers insights into these important questions and the future of world trade.

Francesco Duina is Professor of Sociology and European Studies at Bates College (USA). He has held appointments at Harvard University, Copenhagen Business School, and the University of British Columbia (where he was Professor and Head of Sociology during 2013-2015). His work lies at the intersections of economic and political sociology, international political economy, and cultural sociology. He is especially interested in understanding how nation states persist and operate in the age of globalization. In that context, he has written on a variety of themes – such as trade policy, competition, consumer policy, food policy, nationalism and identity, and populism. His articles have appeared in journals such as the Journal of European Public Policy, Review of International Political Economy, Regulation & Governance, and Economy and Society. He is the author of six books, including The Social Construction of Free Trade: The EU, NAFTA, and Mercosur (Princeton University Press 2006). His most recent edited volume is Standardizing the World: EU Trade Policy and the Road to Convergence (Oxford University Press 2023). Francesco is a regular contributor to media outlets such as The Guardian and LA Times.