Former Chief Economist of WTO on how growth and innovation drive global trade, not tariffs

At the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2026, Robert Koopman, former Chief Economist of the World Trade Organization and Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer at American University, shared his insights on the evolving global trade landscape.

Koopman noted that despite mounting headwinds such as tariffs and geopolitical tensions, global trade has remained resilient, driven largely by factors like GDP growth, technological innovation, and productivity gains rather than trade policies alone. He highlighted Asia's role as a key stabilizing force, emphasizing the region's deep production networks and growing integration as central to both globalization and "re-globalization".

He also underscored China's contribution to global economic growth, pointing to its strong performance in innovation and industrial development. Koopman stressed that many challenges faced by advanced economies like the U.S. stem from domestic structural factors rather than external competition, calling for better policy coordination at home.