Subject Focus: Look at openness

The dynamic growth of world trade is one of the most important global development trends of recent decades. But the globalisation process seems to be coming to a standstill, partly due to a significant loss of dynamism, partly due to the resurgence of protectionist forces at the political level, especially in Western countries. Open markets, however, remain a critical factor for the expansion of globally active companies. This applies both to companies with globally oriented export strategies and to those that are less export-oriented but whose production chains extend across many countries. As a result, protectionism threatens to destroy value chains that have developed over long periods of time. 

Against this background, it is time for an update on the degree of openness in countries worldwide and its relationship to overall economic growth. This is the primary focus of BDO IBC 2017.