Held under the theme “Global Trade and the Evolving International Trading System Amid Rising Uncertainty,” the academic conference brought together distinguished domestic and international scholars and experts to exchange insights on the evolving global trade order.

The symposium began with welcoming remarks by President Jeong Heo of KATIS, followed by congratulatory addresses from President Siwook Lee of KIEP, President Jeongmeen Suh of KOSTI, and President Chul Chung of KERI. The program featured keynote speeches, academic sessions, and a general assembly with participation from leading international economists.

Professor Robert Staiger of Dartmouth College presented on “Changes in the World Trading System under the Second Trump Administration.” Professor Kyle Bagwell of Stanford University discussed “Firm Entry and Social Welfare in the Melitz-Ottaviano Model.” Professor Bingjing Li from the University of Hong Kong shared her study titled “Estimating the Economic Costs of Implementing the Buy American Act (BAA).”

In parallel sessions, scholars and researchers from the United States, Japan, Korea, China, and other countries presented their work on diverse topics, such as examining trade imbalances, offshoring biases in productivity estimation, export controls as a tool of economic strategy, and the role of financial development in trade liberalization.

The event provided a meaningful platform to diagnose the shifting global trade environment from multiple perspectives. Participants agreed to expand cooperative endeavors through the trade security policy support platform and to strengthen the foundations for collaboration among academia, industry, and research institutions.

- Topic: Global Trade and the Evolving International Trading System Amid Rising Uncertainty

- Date & Time: Friday, August 22, 2025, 09:00–17:40

- Venue: Korea Strategic Trade Institute, Trade Tower, Seoul

- Hosts: Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP), Korean Security Agency of Trade and Industry (KOSTI), Korea Economic Research Institute (KERI), Korean Association of Trade and Industry Studies (KATIS)

- Contact: Hyeyoon Keum, Senior Researcher, Trade Agreements Team (hykeum@kiep.go.kr)