Industrial Policy and Trade: Key developments to watch

About the Event

Industrial policy has returned to the center of global economic and trade debates. Governments are using a range of tools not only to drive economic development, but also to support green transformation, industrial decarbonization, supply chain resilience, and new technologies. While these strategies aim to advance environmental and digital transitions, they also raise concerns about trade distortions, geopolitical fragmentation, and unequal access to green value chains, particularly for developing and least developed countries. 

This webinar explored the intersection of industrial policy and trade ahead of MC14. Panelists reviewed key policy trends in major economies, examined how industrial strategies are reshaping trade relations, and assessed the implications for international trade rules and cross-border spillovers.

Key questions for discussion included:

• What is driving the renewed use of industrial policy?
• Which sectors are currently most affected by industrial policy tensions, and which may face challenges next?
• How are developing and least developed countries affected by the new wave of industrial policies?  
• What key developments in industrial policy and trade can we expect in 2026, at the WTO and beyond?  

Panel

Moderator:

• Alice Tipping, Director, Trade and Sustainable Development, IISD

Kick-off remarks:

• Aaron Cosbey, Senior Associate, IISD

Panelists:

• Dr. Sofia Boza, Associate Professor, University of Chile
• Dr. Harry Wardana, Lecturer and Researcher, Adelaide University

For background reading, see the IISD report, An Industrial Policy Renaissance: The challenges and opportunities of going green, which analyzes the resurgence of green industrial policies, their drivers, and their economic, environmental, and trade impacts.