One of the new risks for the global trading system: suddenly the question who “has won” in negotiations is the first one asked. Short thread.
Trade negotiations have never been an idealist’s game. Power has always played a big part. The US, e.g., gets away with stuff that other countries wouldn’t dare.
But it is part of negotiation 101 (literally) that sophisticated negotiations are not like haggling about money. They are about finding solutions and creating benefits for both sides. Because a) that makes them last and b) they are also strategic tools for building alliances
Major attacks on trade deals concerned substance - ISDS, IP protection, SPS standards etc. Of course you would sometimes hear claims that some negotiators got a bad deal. But not like now...
The effects of this are disruptive: how can negotiators do their job if they essential question they will be asked is whether they “won”, which they have to prove by the other side getting less - “losing”?
