WTO trade policy review for Switzerland: In need for a new paradigm

Abstract

This paper argues that the World Trade Organization (WTO) and one of its important instruments, Trade Policy Review (TPR), should refocus on what they were created for: trade policy. This strategy is shown to be well‐founded in international trade theory. In contrast, the TPR 2017 on Switzerland and Liechtenstein deals with a large number of policies that are not or only indirectly related to international trade, but lie at the core of a country's self‐identification and sovereignty. It is concluded that the world trade system would gain in political support and thus benefit if countries were limited in their interference at the border, but enjoyed more freedom in their national policies.