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Se­basti­an Ahl­stich

Research Assistant

Emner
International økonomi Handel Handelsaftale EU Kvantitativ metode Internationalisering

Primary research areas

Pref­er­en­tial Trade Agree­ments
I study how and why firms make use of Pref­er­en­tial Trade Agree­ments, un­cov­er­ing the drivers of up­take and their im­pact on trade.
Goods’ Clas­si­fic­a­tion in In­ter­na­tion­al Trade
I ex­am­ine how firms clas­si­fy their goods in in­ter­na­tion­al trade, and how this shapes tar­iffs, com­pli­ance, and trade flows.

From Data to Bet­ter Trade Policy

My research aims to help policymakers and firms understand how Preferential Trade Agreements (PTAs) are utilized in practice, revealing challenges that affect their effectiveness. By combining quantitative data with firm-level insights, I identify how trade rules shape business decisions and where policies may fall short.

I regularly engage with both private sector actors and public institutions like EFTA and the EU to contribute evidence-based perspectives that support more targeted trade policies. Ultimately, my work aims to make trade agreements more accessible and inclusive, fostering economic growth and fairer trade.

I hold an MSc in Economics from Humboldt University of Berlin and bring prior experience from the financial sector as well as trade policy making at the European External Action Service.

Recent research projects

PhD-Pro­ject

The pro­ject “Be­ne­fi­cial but Im­per­fectly Used – On the Util­iz­a­tion of Trade Agree­ments” ex­plores how firms use trade agree­ments and iden­ti­fies in­sti­tu­tion­al bar­ri­ers lim­it­ing their po­ten­tial.

In­no­ex­plorer – Ac­cess­ible Trade Agree­ments

The "Un­lock­ing the Po­ten­tial of Pref­er­en­tial Trade Agree­ments" pro­ject, fun­ded by In­nov­a­tionsfonden, de­vel­ops new tools that al­low firms to make the most of trade agree­ments.
More information

Outside activities

Swedish Board of Trade , 2024 - 2025

Af­fil­i­ated Re­search­er (Utredare) on pro­ject on Swedish-Nor­we­gi­an & Swedish-Colom­bi­an trade re­la­tions.
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