Will trade be the key to driving the world’s post-pandemic economic recovery?

Trade secretary Liz Truss says free trade has “done more than any single policy prescription in human history to advance human progress and alleviate poverty”.

But there’s been a stark drop since the Covid outbreak began – with warnings that global trade in goods could plummet by over 30% this year.

So can there be a swift bounce back?

FREIGHT EXPECTATIONS – a new report out today from the Institute of Economic Affairs – examines the post-pandemic prospects for global trade.

It looks at the economic and political factors that could determine the strength of the recovery:

How quickly will Covid-related restrictions on exports – introduced by 80 countries around the world – be lifted?  Will a backlash against China harm world trade? And what threat does creeping protectionism pose?

Report author Syed Kamall – the IEA’s Academic and Research Director and a former member of the European Parliament’s International Trade Committee – will be questioned on all this and more in The Definite Article, LIVE at 6pm. 

JOIN IN THE DEBATE – LIVE at 6.00 pm – HERE or on YouTube.