Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book aims to shed light on expert knowledge and to begin to answer the core questions. It offers a detailed scrutiny of how ideas and interests interact in trade policymaking and highlights the role of expertise in shaping global trade governance. Wilkinson argues that the language of crisis and collapse has been an intrinsic part of trade negotiations since the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was first negotiated. The orthodox trade agenda is thereby reinforced at the expense of alternative traditions such as those advocating the use of infant industry protection as a tool of the developmental state. Erin Hannah examines what she calls embedded nongovernmental organization (NGOs) and the emergence of demand-driven advocacy in the global trade regime. The book focuses on the origins, legitimacy, and structural power of expert knowledge in global trade.