Henrique Meirelles

Can the Open World Economy Be Saved?

Kevin Klowden, Ailish Campbell, Steven Ciobo, Ron Kirk, Henrique Meirelles

Moderated by Kevin Clowden of the Milken Institute, a panel of trade experts from Mexico, the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Australia convened to address the global resurgence of protectionism and the economic anxiety driving political shifts. The discussion highlighted how nations like Australia and Canada leverage high-tech investment in natural resources and aggressive trade liberalization to sustain growth while acknowledging the need for robust social safety nets to counter automation-driven job displacement. Ultimately, the experts concluded that preserving an open world economy requires decoupling trade policy from job insecurity by prioritizing lifelong learning, institutional independence, and "flanking policies" that support workers facing structural economic changes.