Call for Papers
World Trade Dialogue 2026:
“The Paradigm Shift in Global Trade”
International Economics Conference organized
by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy and Hapag-Lloyd
Submission deadline: March 6, 2026
Conference dates: April 28–29, 2026
Confirmed speakers: Laura Alfaro (Harvard), Andrew Bernard (Darthmouth), Ann Harrison (Berkeley)
Organisers: Dirk Dohse, Holger Görg, Moritz Schularick (Kiel Institute)
The 2nd World Trade Dialogue will take place in Hamburg on 28 – 29 April 2026.
This year’s theme is The Paradigm Shift in Global Trade.
Global trade is entering a decisive phase of transformation. Accelerating technological change, the rise of industrial policy, evolving geopolitical alliances, and the growing urgency of climate action are redefining how goods, data, and ideas move across borders. In this new landscape, resilience and connectivity have become the cornerstones of a sustainable global economy. As supply chains are reconfigured and digital networks reshape commerce, companies and policymakers alike face the challenge of balancing efficiency with security, openness with sovereignty, and innovation with inclusion. Industrial policy is on the rise, and the rules and relationships that have governed international trade for decades are being rewritten – signaling not just adaptation, but a paradigm shift.
Submission: We invite submissions of research papers focusing on the following key topics:
- Global supply chains in a world of uncertainty and automation
- The evolving interplay between industrial policy and trade policy
- Effects of the US-China trade war on firms
- Digital trade and digital disruptions
- Innovating trade policy and institutional frameworks
Please submit complete papers for presentation at the conference as PDF files to trade-conference@kielinstitut.de by 6 March 2026.
