August 04, 2008
The collapse of the Doha Round of multilateral trade negotiations last week was a major setback for developing countries and rich countries alike. Policymakers are now trying to make sense of what went wrong and salvage what goodwill remains. Randall Soderquist, CGD’s new senior program associate for trade, says that developing countries stand to lose the most from last week’s events, as the fragmented regional and bilateral trade agreements that will likely succeed Doha will undermine their bargaining power. In a new Q&A, he explains Doha’s impact on poor countries, discusses shifting political attitudes toward trade, and offers recommendations on steps toward a new trade agenda.