On September 16, 2026, Tsinghua University held a seminar themed "Coordination for Industrial Policy & Global Trade Governance" at the WTO Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. As part of the 2026 WTO Public Forum series of events, the session delved into the roles and impacts of industrial policies, analyzed emerging trends and new challenges in global industrial policies, and put forward recommendations on the coordination of relevant rules.

Participants at the seminar themed "Coordination for Industrial Policy & Global Trade Governance" during the 2026 WTO Public Forum

The seminar was co-organized by Tsinghua University School of Economics and Management (Tsinghua SEM) and the Institute of Global Development, Tsinghua University. The panelists included Bai Chong-En, dean of Tsinghua SEM and a Distinguished Professor of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Tsinghua University; Robert Koopman, former chief economist and director of the Economic Research and Statistics Division at the WTO, and Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer at American University; Luz Maria de la Mora, director of the Division on International Trade and Commodities at the UN Conference on Trade and Development; and Bernard Hoekman, former director of the International Trade Department at the World Bank, part-time professor and director of Global Economics at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute, among others.

Participants at the seminar themed "Coordination for Industrial Policy & Global Trade Governance" during the 2026 WTO Public Forum

Bai Chong-En said industrial policies remain necessary to address market failures but should be regularly evaluated and adjusted. 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 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 said 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.

Bernard Hoekman said that despite geopolitical competition and the use of trade as a weapon, the WTO remains a valuable forum for global trade governance and helps address the negative cross-border effects of industrial policies. He urged WTO members to discuss industrial support measures and their cross-border effects, and to pursue reforms to the relevant rules.

Panelists speak at the "Coordination for Industrial Policy and Global Trade Governance" seminar in Geneva (Top row, left to right: Bai Chong-En, Robert B. Koopman, Luz Maria de la Mora, and Bernard Hoekman).

Experts called for upholding the multilateral trading system and keeping industrial policies in line with World Trade Organization rules, urging greater use of multilateral forums to discuss how those rules could be improved.

The session was co-moderated by Professor Ma Hong, chair of the Department of Economics at Tsinghua SEM, and Professor Xu Xin, vice dean of the School of Global Governance at Shanghai University of International Business and Economics. It drew more than 200 participants from governments of WTO members, the private sector, academia and the media.

Ma Hong speaks at the "Coordination for Industrial Policy and Global Trade Governance" seminar

Xu Xin speaks at the "Coordination for Industrial Policy and Global Trade Governance" seminar

The WTO Public Forum is the WTO's flagship annual outreach event. It offers a platform for representatives from governments, businesses, academia, the media, international organizations and other stakeholders to exchange views, discuss the latest developments in global trade, and share suggestions on strengthening the multilateral trading system. The 2026 forum was held in Geneva, Switzerland from  September 15 to 17 under the theme "Powering the Future." It drew over 4,600 registered participants for 113 sessions to discuss the future of the global trading system at a challenging time.

Source: Research Affairs Office

Editor: Ren Zhongxi