Plouffe, Michael; (2025) International Trade. In: Thies, Cameron G, (ed.) Handbook of International Relations. (pp. 472-489). Edward Elgar Publishing: Cheltenham, UK.

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Abstract

Interstate conflict and cooperation over trade have long been an important facets of international relations. Research into the politics of international trade has progressed to examine the interactions between actors and institutions at varying levels of aggregation. In this chapter, I survey this literature, beginning with a focus on the domestic politics of trade: the actors involved, their interests, and the ways in which political institutions shape the representation of these to shape trade-policy outcomes. I then turn to the international: the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, and subsequently, the World Trade Organization, have fostered a global environment promoting market liberalism and nondiscrimination, incentivizing trade liberalization. Within this context, reciprocal trade agreements have provided states with a means of achieving further trade-policy cooperation with specific partners. I close the chapter by highlighting new and potentially valuable avenues for future research into the political economy of trade.

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