ECIPE Seminar: Europe’s Trade with Emerging Markets – Is it Climbing the Value-added Chain?

Europe’s trade with emerging markets has grown rapidly over the past 15 years. In recent years, however, Europe’s trade growth with Asia has stalled, and it is likely that trade with emerging economies in the foreseeable future with surprise on the downside. As the era of easy trade growth has ended, it is time to consider the patterns of trade integration between Europe and emerging markets. While trade has grown in virtually all sectors, growth has not necessarily followed expected patterns of trade, with an emphasis in EU export of trade in high value-added and IP-sensitive sectors. What has been the profile of past trade expansion – and what does it entail for the shaper of Europe’s trade policy vis-à-vis emerging markets? Should there be a stronger emphasis in EU trade policy on sectors that generate higher rates of value-added growth?