The tectonic plates of trade are moving: A new equilibrium?

Date
September 15, 2026, 11:00 AM to 12:15 PM EDT
WTO Public Forum, Geneva

Cecilia Malmström (PIIE), Brendan Murray (Bloomberg), Adam S. Posen (PIIE), Tatiana Prazeres (Foreign Trade Secretary, Brazil), Vera Songwe (Brookings Institution) and Joe W. Sullivan (Office of the US Trade Representative)

Event Summary

As the global trading system exists in an uncertain equilibrium while resting on a stable core, it is pertinent to imagine a new order without sliding into the deeper economic fragmentation, protectionism, and geopolitical fray. This session, led by PIIE, examines the opportunities that come with this realignment, how the WTO contributes to balanced and sustainable growth, and the pressing need for the global trade architecture to rely on the interdependence it is built for. The question, which the speakers unpack, is no longer about going back to the old but embracing a new equilibrium, what this looks like, and how the world can be resilient through its dynamism.

MODERATOR

Brendan Murray 
Trade Tsar, Bloomberg

KEYNOTE REMARKS

Adam S. Posen 
President, PIIE

SPEAKERS

Cecilia Malmström 
Nonresident Senior Fellow, PIIE

Tatiana Prazeres 
Foreign Trade Secretary, Brazil

Vera Songwe 
Nonresident Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Africa Growth Initiative, Brookings

Joe W. Sullivan 
Senior Director for Policy, United States Trade Representative

Video