The Future of Trade: A Conversation with World Trade Organization Director-General Pascal Lamy

On October 1, Global Economy and Development at Brookings hosted the director-general of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Pascal Lamy, for a conversation about the future of international trade. As production and supply become ever more global, the paradigm for trade is shifting rapidly away from mercantilism to “made in the world.” The conversation focused on the evolving patterns and methods of trade, global value chains, the rise of non-tariff measures, and recent trends in regionalism in trade.

Pascal Lamy has served as the director-general of the WTO since September 2005. Prior to his appointment, he was the trade commissioner at the European Commission. His civil service career began in the French Inspection Générale des Finances and at the French Treasury. For nine years from the mid-1980s to the mid-1990s, he served as chief of staff for the president of the European Commission, Jacques Delors. Lamy has also worked in the private sector as part of the team to rescue the struggling Crédit Lyonnais, as well as in academia as the president of the European integration-focused think tank “Notre Europe.”

Brookings Managing Director William Antholis provided introductory remarks. Kemal Derviş, vice president and director of Global Economy and Development, moderated the discussion with Director-General Lamy, which included questions from the audience.

You can follow the conversation on this event on Twitter at hashtag #BILamy.