Making trade work for all

Against the background of rising anti-globalisation sentiment, this report argues that, while there are good reasons for some people to be angry, trade is not the root of many problems, nor can it solve them on its own. What is needed is an integrated approach to make the whole system work better for more people. This means three things. First, creating the environments where benefits from trade can materialise through domestic policies that encourage opportunity, innovation and competition by cutting unnecessary trade costs and investing in people and digital and physical infrastructure. Second, doing more to bring everyone along, including in lagging regions where trade shocks can be concentrated. Third, making the international system work better, harnessing the full range of international economic co-operation tools to level the international playing field, addressing the gaps in the rules and doing more to ensure that everyone, from companies to countries, plays by the rules.