Theoretical and Empirical Developments, and Future Issues in Agricultural Trade

Agricultural trade has been steadily increasing since the 1960s. Consequently, agricultural trade has become an important field in agricultural economics since the 1970s. This special issue article presents an overview of key trade theories, empirical trade models, the current status of multilateral trade negotiations, major disputes, and key forces that can shape future commodity trade. Agriculture was brought into global trade negotiations under the Uruguay Round; however, the Doha Round negotiations are beset with disagreements among WTO member countries. Further, with Trump’s unilateral tariff policies, global trade negotiations are under siege, disrupting trade and potentially slowing economic growth worldwide.