Conclusions

Abstract

Most students of firm lobbying in trade policy have so far focused predominantly on the circumstances under which import- competing and export-oriented producers are able to overcome collective action impediments and, in turn, defend their respective interests in the political arena. Yet, in a world economy that is increasingly organized around global value chains, one cannot neglect the policy preferences and political involvement of a third type of actor: producers and retailers that benefit from access to cheap imports from low(er) income countries. This book has theoretically and empirically studied the political involvement of these import-dependent firms, which have so far received very little attention in the literature. The book looks in particular at the role of import-dependent firms in the context of EU’s trade politics and maintains that a full assessment of EU’s trade policy in the 21st century needs to take stock of how changing (production) structures of the global economy affect the domestic politics of this important policy field.