One billion people around the world have pulled themselves and each other out of poverty since 1990. It is one statistic former World Trade Organization Chief Economist, Professor Ralph Ossa cited in his delivery of the 2026 MFE Berkowitz Lecture in Trinity College’s Seeley Hall on March 12.

“We know what life was like before free liberalization and we know what it was like after trade liberalization,” Ossa said in his lecture, The Multilateral Trading System: Resilience, Erosion, and the Role of Middle Powers.

Ossa reminded the audience that life before international trade forced everyone to do everything themselves, which was often a poor use of resources and one limitation on the ability to achieve economic growth and international development.

“We all have benefitted from specialization,” he said.

Ossa, who was with the WTO from January 2023 to July 2025, discussed current trade conditions brought on by global uncertainty, tariff volatility, and the context of a new protectionism rising from within political movements in the United States and elsewhere.

“What I found particularly interesting was Professor Ossa’s remark on the potential for the United States to impose tariffs on intangible goods such as streaming services and software, given how deeply embedded these technologies are in global commerce,” said incoming MFE student Catherine Champion. “This reminded me of the broader concept of technological sovereignty and how many European countries, middle powers, are attempting to build their own digital technologies to reduce their dependence on U.S. private sector firms such as Microsoft, Zoom, and Google.”

Ossa believes that these conditions make the WTO and its work more relevant to ensuring the benefits of international trade continue to improve life for everyone. [Read more…]