Experts call for greater coordination on industrial policy, global trade governance

Their effectiveness should be measured by factors such as productivity, employment, consumer welfare and environmental benefits, he said, rather than simply by capacity, exports and global market share.

Robert B. Koopman, a senior professorial lecturer at the School of International Service at American University, said cross-border spillovers of industrial policies are a key challenge for global trade governance.

Greater international coordination can bring substantial shared benefits, while unilateral measures could backfire, he said. He urged WTO members to strengthen cooperation, starting with greater transparency.

Luz Maria de la Mora, director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities at UNTCAD, noted that many developing countries lack the resources and capacity to implement industrial policies, which puts them at greater risk in their development efforts.

She called for global trade governance to give these countries enough room to pursue industrial policies that expand productive capacity and support sustainable development.