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When is international trade a security threat?

RyuGyung Park & Brandon J Kinne

Conflict Management and Peace Science2026https://doi.org/10.1177/07388942261416263article
ABDC B
Weight
0.50

Abstract

Discussion of trade is increasingly dominated by security-oriented terms and concepts. We examine the tendency of individuals to perceive trade not merely as an economic issue but as a threat to national security, which we term “trade–security equivalence.” While many scholars have studied individual-level support for trade, we show that trade–security equivalence is distinct from trade preferences. We use a survey experiment of US respondents to isolate conditions that lead individuals to perceive trade as a security threat. Treatments vary aspects of hypothetical US trade relationships: military and economic gaps, partner alignment with US foreign policy, and potential macro- and micro-level economic impacts. Our analysis reveals multiple paths to trade–security equivalence, involving both economic and security influences, with the strongest effect from macro-level economic influences. When subjects are told that trade negatively affects the overall US economy, they are especially likely to view trade as a national security threat.

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https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/07388942261416263

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@article{ryugyung2026,
  title        = {{When is international trade a security threat?}},
  author       = {RyuGyung Park & Brandon J Kinne},
  journal      = {Conflict Management and Peace Science},
  year         = {2026},
  doi          = {https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/07388942261416263},
}

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Evidence weight

0.50

Balanced mode · F 0.40 / M 0.15 / V 0.05 / R 0.40

F · citation impact0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20
M · momentum0.50 × 0.15 = 0.07
V · venue signal0.50 × 0.05 = 0.03
R · text relevance †0.50 × 0.4 = 0.20

† Text relevance is estimated at 0.50 on the detail page — for your query’s actual relevance score, open this paper from a search result.