In spite of all protestations and exhortations it is a fact that trade liberalization, the modern version of free trade, is caught in a crisis. Professor Detlef Lorenz is here analysing the causes of this crisis and suggesting alternatives for a future liberalization policy.

Exchange rate volatility and long-term distortions of exchange rate levels have given rise to concern among participants in international trade. Do exchange rate fluctuations have an adverse impact on the volume of trade? What measures could be taken to achieve greater exchange rate stability?