Dr. Christian Bluth
Project Manager,
Bertelsmann Stiftung

Christian Bluth has been with the Bertelsmann Stiftung since 2016. Within the GED team, he specialises on international trade, especially questions regarding TTIP, regional trade agreements and the WTO. He is also interested in European economic policy and fiscal policy.

Christian studied economics, political science and history at SciencesPo Paris and Bocconi University. He holds a master’s degree in “Economics and Public Policy” from SciencesPo Paris and a PhD in Political Economy from the University of Cambridge. Prior to joining the Bertelsmann Stiftung, he worked as an intern with the State Chancellery of Hessen, the OECD, the Reserve Bank of India and the Bundesbank.

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Published Posts byDr. Christian Bluth

Invitation to our Webinar on WTO Reform

1 April 2020

Join us on April 16, at 3 pm CEST More ...

3 Suggestions to Make Work at the WTO More Forward-Looking and Efficient
Often overlooked, committees work at a policymaking level where reform proposals can make a real difference!

5 March 2020

Among its other functions, the WTO serves as a forum where trade practices of its member states can be discussed. Much of this work happens in WTO Committees, which cover a large range of trade-related topics in their day to day work. Often overlooked, this is a policymaking level where reform proposals can make a […] More ...

Diffusing the Conflict Around Industrial Subsidies

3 March 2020

The US is accusing China of distorting international competition through industrial subsidies to private and state-owned enterprises. This is one of the core elements of the trade conflict between the two nations. Multilateral rules disciplining the use of industrial subsidies are currently not very far developed – but could be a key feature in assuring a level playing field amongst trading nations. In two new publications, GED looks into whether multilateral disciplines on subsidies are indeed needed and if yes, how the trade community should go about negotiating them. More ...

What Has the WTO Ever Done for Us?
Welfare Effects of the WTO

30 December 2019

On January 1st, the WTO will celebrate its 25th birthday. Whether it is looking forward to a rosy future is however uncertain. Their largest members, the US and China escalate their tariff disputes outside the organization. At the same time, the US’s blocking of the Appellate Body risks damaging the whole institution. More ...

Travel concept with flag pushpins and world map.
Bunte Nadeln sind auf einer Weltkarte gepinnt.
Bestellt am 14.06.2019 in einer KONZERN-Lizenz füt ST-MT ID-610 | "Roadmap 2030" 103-64119-104

Roadmap 2030: Spreading Globalization Gains More Widely

3 December 2019

In this instalment of the Roadmap 2030 blogpost, we look into the discontents with globalization and how they can be addressed. As we see from surveys, people tend to be concerned about job security and wage developments in the context of globalization. They feel insufficiently protected against negative side effects of globalisation. More ...

How to Organise a WTO Ministerial Conference

2 December 2019

In June 2020, the Kazakh government is going to host the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference. This week, GED is meeting their negotiators for a workshop identifying best practices in hosting multilateral conferences. This event is organised together with the Centre for Multilateral Negotiations. More ...

WTO Dispute Settlement and the Appellate Body Crisis - What Insiders Think

27 November 2019

On December 10, the Appellate Body of the WTO’s Dispute Settlement Mechanism will lose its functionality. After that, trade disputes between WTO Members cannot be finally and bindingly resolved – which is worrying news in a world of trade wars. Our newest publication asks the users of the dispute settlement system how they view the work of the dispute settlement mechanism of the WTO and where they have concerns. More ...

Dispute Settlement at the WTO – A Renovation Case?

8 October 2019

The Dispute Settlement Body of the WTO is often described as the crown jewel of the organisation – few other international organisations dispose not only the capacity to set international rules but also to enforce them. More ...

The Appellate Body Crisis: Dispute Settlement at the WTO
Results of a survey of WTO member delegations and practitioners on the role and importance of the Appellate Body

4 October 2019

Results of a survey of WTO member delegations and practitioners on the role and importance of the Appellate Body More ...

Phil Hogan, the EU's New Straight-Talking Commissioner for Trade
The impact on Brexit, WTO Reform & trade among the world's largest economies

12 September 2019

Phil Hogan has just been confirmed as the new European Commissioner for Trade. In this blogpost, we look at the experiences he brings to the job and the challenges he is going to encounter. More ...

Traffic moving across America on interstate I-10

United on Trade but Divided on NAFTA
Survey says citizens in US less keen on USMCA than their partners

27 June 2019

President Trump has referred to NAFTA as the worst deal ever – but what do the people in the USA but also in Canada and Mexico think? A new study commissioned by the GED team finds that Canadians and Mexicans are generally in favour of NAFTA but that US Americans are divided. Click the download link to find more interesting insights from our study. More ...

What Do the Results of the EU Elections Mean for the Future of the EU Trade Policy?
The collapse of the centre will mean re-alignment and building consensus

29 May 2019

Last week, the citizens across the European Union voted for a new European Parliament. The European Parliament also has an important voice in trade policy, so in this blog post GED asks the changes in the composition of the EU parliament mean for the EU trade policy. EU Elections 2019: What changed in the new […] More ...

Three Reasons Why You Should Know What CPTPP Stands For
Policy Innovations and Impacts

24 April 2019

The Comprehensive and Progressive Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) is often described as one of the most innovative and far-reaching free trade agreements. In this paper, Deborah Elms of the Asian Trade Centre reviews the CPTPP and the novel ideas it is bringing to trade policy. More ...

Does Brexit Spell the End of Comparative Advantage?
An Analysis of German-British Production Chains at the Sector Level

12 April 2019

Germany and Britain have knit close ties as part of global production networks. However, Brexit makes trade more costly – and impacts the design of production chains. In this new study, we look into the close ties in value-added trade between British and German sectors and analyze to what extent they will be impacted by Brexit. More ...

World Economic Forum 2019
Will it make a difference?

21 January 2019

Every year, the high and mighty meet in the Swiss ski resort by invitation of the World Economic Forum for its Annual Meeting. This year, they discuss “Globalisation 4.0: Shaping a Global Architecture in the Age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution”. A worthy topic, but will Davos give global governance more momentum? More ...

World Trade Organization: What Way Forward for Trade Dispute Settlement?
New ideas on how to treat the current crisis of the World trade organizations Appellate Body

17 January 2019

The dispute settlement body of the WTO performs an important role in adjudicating trade disputes. In this new GED Focus Paper, international trade law expert Robert McDougall proposes some fresh ideas on how to treat the current crisis of the WTO Appellate Body as a chance to improve and update trade dispute resolution at the WTO. More ...

11 Major Events that Could Change the Global Economy in 2019
Save the date! 2019's calendar includes a host of deadlines that could spell dream or disaster for the global economy

10 January 2019

In 2019 the global economy will face a series of major events. The focus will be on Brexit, the U.S.-China trade war and the EU Parliamentary Elections... More ...

Brexit's Economic Impact: Bad, Really Bad or Terrible?
The Economic Effects of the Options on the Table

11 December 2018

Brexit 2018: On Tuesday, December 11, the House of Commons was scheduled to vote on the Withdrawal Agreement. Avoiding a defeat, the UK government pulled the vote on the deal it had negotiated with the EU detailing on what terms exactly the UK will leave the EU. Given the controversy, it seems worthwhile to recap […] More ...

How Germany's Economy is Connected to Eastern Europe
Part 3 of our mini-series on Global Value Chains

16 November 2018

In our mini-series on Global Value Chains (GVCs) we look how three German key industries – motor vehicles, chemicals and machinery - are part of complex international production networks that illustrate the key role of comparative advantage . This week: the relevance of economic ties between Central and Eastern European Countries and Germany. More ...

Are the G7 countries no longer Germany's top trading partners ?
Part 2 of our mini-series on Global Value Chains

29 October 2018

Today we are looking at Germany's trade partners. In our mini-series on Global Value Chains (GVCs) we look at how three German key industries – motor vehicles, chemicals and machinery - are part of complex international production networks. Economist sometimes call this the ‘second wave of global unbundling’. More ...

German Key Industries in a Global Value Chains Network
Part 1 of our mini-series on Global Value Chains

25 October 2018

In our mini-series on Global Value Chains (GVCs) we look how three German key industries – motor vehicles, chemicals and machinery - are part of complex international production networks. It shows to what degree Germany is embedded in a network of international partners in which everyone specializes on what they are doing best. More ...

What Needs to Change at The WTO?
Our Panel of Experts presents our Recommendations at Public Forum 2018

2 October 2018

The World Trade Organization (WTO) serves as a place where trade policy issues are addressed, disputes arbitrated, legal frameworks derived and enforced. The Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Expert Board on the Future of Trade Governance has released a report that elaborates a series of feasible policy recommendations that will increase the effectiveness and salience of the WTO. More ...

G Azevêdo with Professor Bernard Hoekman (left) and Andreas Esche (right).

DG Azevêdo Receives Experts’ Report on Future of Global Trade Governance
Four complementary avenues that can be pursued to revitalize the WTO as a forum for trade cooperation and conflict resolution

19 July 2018

WTO Director-General Roberto Azevêdo met on 17 July with representatives of the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s High-Level Board of Experts to receive their report on the Future of Global Trade Governance. The report outlines four complementary avenues that can be pursued to revitalize the WTO as a forum for trade cooperation and conflict resolution. More ...

Revitalizing Multilateral Governance at the World Trade Organization
Report of the High-Level Board of Experts on the Future of Global Trade Governance

17 July 2018

Can Better Institutional Learning Improve Working Practices at the WTO?
How a Systematic Reflection by Members on Transparency Could Promote Institutional Learning

16 July 2018

This paper suggests a systematic discussion of transparency by encouraging institutional learning which could help Members to recover a shared sense of collective purpose. It further discusses the meaning of institutional learning, and whether other international organizations have lessons for the WTO on how to do it. More ...

3 Ideas to Revitalize the Multilateral Trading System
The first piece of research proposing suggestions on how to improve the functioning of the WTO

11 July 2018

The multilateral trading system, as embodied by the World Trade Organization is under threat. A new paper that the Bertelsmann Stiftung commissioned from Dr Robert Basedow discusses the options that have been forwarded to strengthen the WTO and the multilateral trading system. More ...

President Donald Trump meets with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in the Oval Office, Friday, March 17, 2017. (Official White House Photo by Shealah Craighead @Flickr.com)

Merkel and Trump Talking Trade
What the People Think

27 April 2018

On Friday April 27th, Chancellor Merkel is travelling to Washington DC to meet President Trump. Trade is among the most important issues the two leaders are going to discuss. A recent survey by Bertelsmann Stiftung gauges the temperature amongst the people in the US, Germany and ten other nations. More ...

A Safety Net to Foster Support for Trade and Globalisation
International Survey of Attitudes towards Trade and Globalisation 2018

19 April 2018

Given the rise of protectionist reflexes and a world on the brink of trade war, a survey by the Bertelsmann Stiftung of attitudes towards trade and globalisation gauges the temperature among people in twelve developed and emerging economies. It finds that attitudes are generally positive but that some negative side effects worry the respondents. More ...

GED Focus Paper: Boosting Intra-African Trade
Hindrances, Opportunities and the Continental Free Trade Area

24 March 2018

Though the journey towards a better-integrated continent is in progress, the CFTA is still met with certain obstacles and challenges despite what is to be gained. The objective of the focus paper is to, therefore, critically analyse the opportunities of trade facilitation in Africa and its hindrances. More ...

GED Webinar: Boosting Digital Services Trade – Potentials and Obstacles
A discussion of the latest GED study with Erik van der Marel and Philipp Lamprecht of ECIPE

5 March 2018

Thank you for joining us on Tuesday, 6 March 2018 for a discussion of the latest GED study with Erik van der Marel and Philipp Lamprecht of ECIPE and Christian Bluth of the GED Team. The interactive online session provided a short overview over the key findings of the study and the following issues: Why does digital trade in services matter? […] More ...

GED's Expert Board at the WTO Ministerial Conference
Thoughts on how to improve the functioning of the WTO

7 February 2018

In December 2017, the representatives of 164 member states met in Buenos Aires at the WTO Ministerial Conference to discuss the future trade policy agenda. GED was present in Buenos Aires too, with its Expert Board on the Future of Trade Governance presenting further thoughts on how to improve the functioning of the WTO itself. […] More ...

Bolstering the Multilateral Trading System – Some Fresh Ideas
A work program for the WTO presented by the high-level board of experts on the future of global trade governance

11 December 2017

In order to pursue its mandate and objectives, the members of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) should launch a work programme to foster a better understanding of the factors that have enabled institutional innovation in some policy areas but not in others, and to reflect on the role of established working practices in constraining the ability of the organisation to achieve its mandate. More ...

Two Years into the Digital Single Market Strategy – Where Do We Stand?
It’s not only about roaming fees, in order to be a success, the Digital Single Market Strategy needs to achieve much more

6 December 2017

Europe is lagging behind in the digital economy. The reason for this is not a lack of business ideas in the digital economy, the reason is that the current institutional and technical environment is not as conducive to growth as it should be. The Digital Single Market Strategy addresses some of these issues. But does it do enough? This blogpost reviews what has been achieved and what still needs to be done. More ...

The Effects of Digitisation and Automation on Global Trade
How Future Global Production Patterns Are Going to Change

1 December 2017

The large degree of automation enabled by digitisation changes many ways of our lives. Most importantly it changes how things are being produced – ultimately, this also impacts global trade flows. This blogpost tries to anticipate how the geography of trade will change in the future. More ...

GED at the WTO Public Forum
Can Better Institutional Learning Improve the Functioning of the WTO?

21 November 2017

What is the best institutional learning mechanism? Which options are politically feasible? These questions were debated by Robert Wolfe, Hector Torres, Anabel Gonzáles and Arancha Gonzáles under the chairmanship of Bernard Hoekman. More ...

Boosting Trade in Services in the Digitalisation Era
Download our newest GED study to learn about the potential and obstacles!

28 September 2017

How well is your country realising its potential in digital services trade? This question is answered by a ranking which is part of the new GED study together with ECIPE. The study shows that Ireland is best at realising its potential while Germany finishes only 19th out of 28th. More ...

About the Board
Learn all about our mission, agenda and the boards individual members!

11 September 2017

The Global Economic Dynamics Project (GED) of the Bertelsmann Stiftung has brought together a small group of distinguished practitioners and experts to consider incremental and feasible approaches to both sustain and revitalize multilateral trade cooperation. More ...

Can the Euro Area Learn Lessons from Japan?
Introducing the GED Economic Outlook

10 August 2017

The GED Project is launching a new series: GED Economic Outlook. In this series, we will look at what the future might bring for countries or economic variables we are interested in. In this first installment of the series, we look at Japan. More ...

What the General Election Means for Brexit
Can the British Government be Expected to do the Right Thing Once They Have Exhausted Every Other Possibility?

15 June 2017

Winston Churchill once said about the American government, that they could be trusted to implement the right policies once they had exhausted every other possibility. The next months will show whether the aphorism also applies to the British government. More ...

Focus Paper: Can the Welfare State Keep Up With Globalization?
A Discomforting Answer in Three Simple Graphs

24 May 2017

In the past, more open economies used to have larger welfare states which served as a protection against external shocks. Our new focus paper suggests that the link between openness and the scope of the welfare state has weakened over time. More ...

GED Webinar: France Has a New President – What Next?
Register now to learn more about the challenges ahead after the French elections!

4 May 2017

PLEASE JOIN US on Monday, 8 May 2017 at 1.30 - 2.00 pm CEST (Berlin) for our GED Webinar where we will discuss the way forward after the French elections. More ...

GED Under the Radar - April Edition
This month under the radar: Unlimited economic growth, British elections, a crumbling empire and a shutdown!

27 April 2017

Sometimes, stories of interest fall through the cracks of the mainstream attention. In GED Under the Radar, we bring you those stories you might have missed in April. This month under the radar: Unlimited economic growth, British elections, a crumbling empire and a shutdown. More ...

French Elections Round-Up Part Three: Trade and Globalization
Examining France’s role in international trade and attitudes towards globalisation

20 April 2017

In this mini-series, the GED project will present to you not only the most pressing issues at stake in France's, but also the corresponding solutions each of the five main candidates proposes. In this third take, we will take a closer look at France’s role in international trade and at attitudes towards globalization. More ...

French Elections Round-Up Part Two: Employment and Social Policy
Looking at the core of voters' interest

19 April 2017

In this mini-series, the GED project will present to you not only the most pressing issues at stake in France's, but also the corresponding solutions each of the five main candidates proposes. In this second take, we will take a closer look at the core of french voters' interest: France’s employment and social policy. More ...

French Elections Round-Up Part One: Squaring the Circle of French Fiscal Policy
Between consolidation, solidarity and investment

18 April 2017

In this mini-series, the GED project will present to you not only the most pressing issues at stake in France's, but also the corresponding solutions each of the five main candidates proposes. In a first take, we will take a closer look at France’s overall economic situation as well as at its fiscal policy. More ...

Electing Europe’s Future: France’s Presidential Candidates and Their Visions for the French Economy
Socio-economic challenges are at the core of this year’s elections

10 April 2017

Our newest GED Focus Paper provides an overview of France’s overall socio-economic situation and of the policy solutions the five top candidates propose. More ...

Brexit Has Just Been Triggered – What Happens Next?
The UK is officially leaving the European Union. We take a closer look at how this works and what happens now.

29 March 2017

Today, on March 29, Prime Minister Theresa May will formally notify the European Council of the United Kingdom’s decision to withdraw from the European Union. With this notification begins the two year period, which is foreseen by Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty for the withdrawal from the EU. Still there are many questions that remain unclear. We tell you what to expect next. More ...

GED Webinar: The EU-Japan Trade Agreement
Learn more about the economic effects and policy implications of the next big trade deal

27 March 2017

TTIP is seemingly breathing its last breath and President Donald Trump declared the US’ official withdrawal from TPP. Are mega-regional trade agreements at an end then? Not quite. Nowadays many experts are looking at the trade deal negotiations between the EU and Japan to set a renewed signal against protectionism and for free trade among the global economic community. More ...

TFA: The Trillion Dollar Trade Deal That Just Came into Force
...And Which Hardly Anyone Noticed

7 March 2017

On February 22, 2017 Chad, Jordan and Rwanda ratified the Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA). Thus the total number of countries having ratified this agreement exceeded the pre-defined threshold of a 110 required for it to enter into force. Interestingly, this was hardly picked up by the media. A suprising turn, given the hefty one trillion dollar cost saving tag estimated for the agreement. More ...

GED Under the Radar - February Edition
This month under the radar: Danish labor problems, India's poor, an angry Belarusian and French cows!

28 February 2017

Today, we are happy to bring you a brand new segment on the ged-project blog. In it, the GED Team will present to you each month those economic stories that we found most interesting in that month but felt received less popular attention than they actually deserved. These stories can come from all over the word. They can be relevant and important for the global economic system as a whole or just affect a select group of few, they can be serious or they can be humorous. In any case they will be interesting. This is "GED Under the Radar"! More ...

Brexit – What Road Ahead?
Essential Questions Defining the Future EU-UK Relationship

1 February 2017

In December 2016, the GED Team held the “Bertelsmann Stiftung European Forum in Association With Financial Times”, debating on our panel the future of Brexit and the EU-UK relationship. The following three animated videos each represent a distinct thematic bloc of our Brexit debate. Watch them, get excited and check back soon for the video of the full debate! More ...

MPD01605 / flickr.com mixed with own picture material

The Importance of Schengen
GED talks about Schengen, migration and its effects on the society in which we live

5 October 2016

GED's own Christian Bluth shares the key points from his recent part in the Prague European Summit. The Videos of his talk about the importance of Schengen are available here. More ...

Globalization of Central and Eastern European Countries
How some of the least globalized countries in 1990 have climbed the ranks

12 September 2016

This blog post takes a deeper look at Central and East European economies, which achieved the largest jumps in globalization in our new 2016 ranking. More ...

GED Webinar: Free Trade from Lisbon to Vladivostok
A Tool for Peace and Prosperity?

5 September 2016

The GED Team invites you to this newest webinar session, discussing the potential economic effects of a free trading zone between the European Union and the Eurasian Economic Union. More ...

cut version Mehr Demokratie / Flickr.com

GED Mini-Series: Lessons Learned from TTIP
Part 1: How to Overcome Resistance against Trade

30 August 2016

Free trade seems to be less popular than ever amongst the public. But Why is that? We look at what went wrong with TTIP and what can be done in the future to create the kind of inclusive trade worthy of the publics praise again. More ...

Increased Trade is the Way to De-escalate the Tense Relationship between the EU and Russia
The Political and Economic Effects of a Free Trade Area between the EU and the Eurasian Region

17 August 2016

Our Study shows the effects of a free trade area between the EU and the EEU. Is more trade the key to meet increased tensions between the EU and Russia? More ...

Free Trade from Lisbon to Vladivostok
A Tool for Peace and Prosperity: The Effects of a Free Trade Area between the EU and the Eurasian Region

17 August 2016

Our Study shows the effects of a free trade area between the EU and the EEU. Is more trade the key to meet increased tensions between the EU and Russia? More ...

Dr. Christian Bluth Project Manager, Bertelsmann Stiftung

Dr. Christian Bluth
Project Manager,
Bertelsmann Stiftung