European Trade Defense

Question A:

A more assertive EU trade policy, including greater use of trade restrictions against countries engaging in market-distorting practices, would substantially strengthen Europe's economic performance.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question B:

The EU economy would benefit substantially from greater use of anti-subsidy duties against imports from countries that provide subsidies and/or other forms of government support to their domestic producers.

Responses weighted by each expert's confidence

Question A Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Allen
Franklin Allen
Imperial College London
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
This is about China. They do provide subsidies but many of these are to do with innovation. They have been very successful in this, particularly in EVs, batteries, solar cells, and wind turbines. If Europe wants to meet green targets it needs cooperation with China not a fight.
Antras
Pol Antras
Harvard
Uncertain
10
Bio/Vote History
Perhaps if done in a surgical manner, but policy makers don't make good surgeons.
Auriol
Emmanuelle Auriol
Toulouse School of Economics
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Blanchard
Olivier Blanchard
Peterson Institute
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
the economic argument for such subsidies is some version of infant industry . Maybe relevant for some sectors, but potentially abused to do it for others
Blundell
Richard William Blundell
University College London
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Botticini
Maristella Botticini
Bocconi
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Bénassy-Quéré
Agnès Bénassy-Quéré
Paris School of Economics Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Cagé
Julia Cagé
Sciences Po
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Carletti
Elena Carletti
Bocconi
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Paris School of Economics
Strongly Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
De Grauwe
Paul De Grauwe
LSE
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Eeckhout
Jan Eeckhout
UPF Barcelona
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Fatás
Antonio Fatás
INSEAD
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Fuchs-Schündeln
Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Galí
Jordi Galí
Barcelona GSE
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Garicano
Luis Garicano
LSE Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Gorodnichenko
Yuriy Gorodnichenko
Berkeley
Uncertain
2
Bio/Vote History
Griffith
Rachel Griffith
University of Manchester
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Guerrieri
Veronica Guerrieri
Chicago Booth
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Guiso
Luigi Guiso
Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Guriev
Sergei Guriev
London Business School
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Honohan
Patrick Honohan
Trinity College Dublin
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Could be a component of a policy package designed to buy time for recovery of certain eu manufacturing sectors under pressure. But vulnerable to abuse to protect declining industries. Also concept of distortion may be anachronistic.
Javorcik
Beata Javorcik
University of Oxford
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Krahnen
Jan Pieter Krahnen
Goethe University Frankfurt
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
There is a quid-pro-quo in every assertive economic measure - so we have to factor in the responses of other countries if the EU acts as you suggest. As a final outcome I can imagine that everybody is probably worse off, rather than better...
Kőszegi
Botond Kőszegi
Central European University
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
La Ferrara
Eliana La Ferrara
Harvard Kennedy Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Leuz
Christian Leuz
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
2
Bio/Vote History
"Substantially" is a tall order, but if there are market-distorting practices, there are grounds to respond. Core challenge is determining such practices and to prevent that such policy turns into protectionism.
Manova
Kalina Manova
University College London
Uncertain
10
Bio/Vote History
Mayer
Thierry Mayer
Sciences-Po
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Meghir
Costas Meghir
Yale
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Pagano
Marco Pagano
Università di Napoli Federico II
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Papaioannou
Elias Papaioannou
London Business School
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Pastor
Lubos Pastor
Chicago Booth Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Portes
Richard Portes
London Business School
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Prendergast
Canice Prendergast
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Propper
Carol Propper
Imperial College London Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Rasul
Imran Rasul
University College London
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Reichlin
Lucrezia Reichlin
London Business School
Agree
4
Bio/Vote History
Reis
Ricardo Reis
London School of Economics
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Repullo
Rafael Repullo
CEMFI
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Schoar
Antoinette Schoar
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Storesletten
Kjetil Storesletten
University of Minnesota
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Trade plays a small role, so any positive effect from improvements in trade partners' policies would be small, at best. Worse, such a policy could be abused to strengthen protectionism in Europe
Strömberg
Per Strömberg
Stockholm School of Economics
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
I believe foreign compétition is key to EU competitiveness
Sturm
Daniel Sturm
London School of Economics
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Van Reenen
John Van Reenen
LSE
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Trade with china has generally been a benefit for Europe
-see background information here
Van der Ploeg
Rick Van der Ploeg
Oxford
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Vickers
John Vickers
Oxford
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Voth
Hans-Joachim Voth
University of Zurich
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
it will get highjacked for many unrelated policy preferences and agendas
Wyplosz
Charles Wyplosz
The Graduate Institute Geneva
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
I disagree with "substantially", I would have agreed with "some, perhaps". The volumes in cause are rarely of macroeconomic size. And retorsions could happen.

Question B Participant Responses

Participant University Vote Confidence Bio/Vote History
Allen
Franklin Allen
Imperial College London
Disagree
3
Bio/Vote History
Gain this is about China. They now have superior technology in many areas than Europe. We need to cooperate to catch up rather than fight them. They overtook us and we need to adopt similar strategies that they did when behind.
Antras
Pol Antras
Harvard
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Countervailing duties can be helpful, and are consistent with WTO rules. Of course, their desirability varies across sectors, and they come at a consumer surplus cost.
Auriol
Emmanuelle Auriol
Toulouse School of Economics
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Blanchard
Olivier Blanchard
Peterson Institute
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
id
Blundell
Richard William Blundell
University College London
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Botticini
Maristella Botticini
Bocconi
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Bénassy-Quéré
Agnès Bénassy-Quéré
Paris School of Economics Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Cagé
Julia Cagé
Sciences Po
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Carletti
Elena Carletti
Bocconi
Uncertain
3
Bio/Vote History
Danthine
Jean-Pierre Danthine
Paris School of Economics
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
De Grauwe
Paul De Grauwe
LSE
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Eeckhout
Jan Eeckhout
UPF Barcelona
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Fatás
Antonio Fatás
INSEAD
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Fuchs-Schündeln
Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln
Goethe-Universität Frankfurt
Agree
7
Bio/Vote History
Galí
Jordi Galí
Barcelona GSE
Uncertain
6
Bio/Vote History
Garicano
Luis Garicano
LSE Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Gorodnichenko
Yuriy Gorodnichenko
Berkeley
Uncertain
2
Bio/Vote History
Griffith
Rachel Griffith
University of Manchester
Uncertain
1
Bio/Vote History
Guerrieri
Veronica Guerrieri
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Guiso
Luigi Guiso
Einaudi Institute for Economics and Finance
Uncertain
7
Bio/Vote History
Guriev
Sergei Guriev
London Business School
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Honohan
Patrick Honohan
Trinity College Dublin
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Unlikely on their own to boost productivity in EU industries; adverse effect on cost structures.
Javorcik
Beata Javorcik
University of Oxford
Uncertain
8
Bio/Vote History
Krahnen
Jan Pieter Krahnen
Goethe University Frankfurt
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
As argued before, anti-subsidy measures might be taken by other countries as well, and since subsidy is itself a fuzzy concept, the eventual outcome might be negative for EU companies as well.
Kőszegi
Botond Kőszegi
Central European University
No Opinion
Bio/Vote History
La Ferrara
Eliana La Ferrara
Harvard Kennedy Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Leuz
Christian Leuz
Chicago Booth
Uncertain
2
Bio/Vote History
Essentially the same comment as for earlier question.
Manova
Kalina Manova
University College London
Disagree
10
Bio/Vote History
Mayer
Thierry Mayer
Sciences-Po
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Meghir
Costas Meghir
Yale
Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Pagano
Marco Pagano
Università di Napoli Federico II
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Papaioannou
Elias Papaioannou
London Business School
Strongly Agree
9
Bio/Vote History
Pastor
Lubos Pastor
Chicago Booth Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Portes
Richard Portes
London Business School
Agree
8
Bio/Vote History
Prendergast
Canice Prendergast
Chicago Booth
Agree
3
Bio/Vote History
Propper
Carol Propper
Imperial College London Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Rasul
Imran Rasul
University College London
Agree
5
Bio/Vote History
Reichlin
Lucrezia Reichlin
London Business School
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
Reis
Ricardo Reis
London School of Economics
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Repullo
Rafael Repullo
CEMFI
Uncertain
4
Bio/Vote History
Schoar
Antoinette Schoar
MIT Did Not Answer Bio/Vote History
Storesletten
Kjetil Storesletten
University of Minnesota
Uncertain
5
Bio/Vote History
Strömberg
Per Strömberg
Stockholm School of Economics
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
Sturm
Daniel Sturm
London School of Economics
Disagree
7
Bio/Vote History
Van Reenen
John Van Reenen
LSE
Disagree
8
Bio/Vote History
Van der Ploeg
Rick Van der Ploeg
Oxford
Agree
6
Bio/Vote History
Vickers
John Vickers
Oxford
Disagree
4
Bio/Vote History
Voth
Hans-Joachim Voth
University of Zurich
Disagree
6
Bio/Vote History
Wyplosz
Charles Wyplosz
The Graduate Institute Geneva
Disagree
5
Bio/Vote History
The beneficiaries would be the producers, but the customers would miss on cheap goods partly financed by foreign taxpayers.