From Protectionism to Neo-Protectionism: New Dimensions of Liberal Regulation

The article summarizes the main concepts of the policy of protectionism. It was proved that the shaded or semi-open nature of protectionism of the 21st century model does not fall under classical manifestations of protectionism recorded in the WTO documents, and therefore further hybridization of its forms actualizes the need for their classification in order to attract the attention of the scientific community to new challenges to the global regulation of the system of international economic relations. It was discovered, that protectionism in the process of economical globalization has evolved from trade policy based on introduction of tariff limitations, and later from non-tariff protection instruments, into a complex comprehensive state mechanism for increasing competitiveness of the national economy in the process of globalization, which we call neo-protectionism. Was provided a classification of neo-protectionism and were singled out forms of manifestation of each of its types. Were established country features of neo-protectionism policy. Was established that flexibility of tools for implementing neo-protectionism policy, absence of a unified approach to interpreting the methods of achieving goals announced by the state, differences in priorities and unity of the goals of all instruments, which are to stimulate restoration of economic growth, can be considered as determinative signs of new regulation. It was found that state intervention becomes an inherent characteristic of liberal politics. Was observed that neo-protectionism with its flexible instruments becomes a policy of reducing asymmetric distribution of benefits from globalization and reaction to global imbalances, which again emphasizes the thesis that state participation in regulation of economic processes is an objective reality, and we are witnessing transformation of the previously announced trend towards deregulation into re-regulation.