Objective For the last twenty years, countries across the globe have negotiated a large number of preferential trade agreements. In parallel, trade negotiations have taken place in the framework of the World Trade Organization. These negotiations not only deal with tariffs, but also cover investments, competition policy, labour standards and much more. With much at stake, the extent to which different countries are able to achieve their preferred outcomes in these negotiations is of broad interest. In this project, I address this topic by asking: what makes some countries have more bargaining power than others in these negotiations? In other words, what explains variation in bargaining power in trade negotiations? My approach to these questions is ground-breaking in terms of theory, empirical research and methodology: 1.) I develop an original theoretical argument that links the globalization of production to bargaining power in trade negotiations. Concretely, I argue that the offshoring of production reduces the importance of market size in trade negotiations. The argument leads to the expectation of systematic variation in bargaining power over time, and across pairs of countries and sectors.2.) I will collect novel and systematic data to test this argument, going far beyond the empirical evidence currently used to assess bargaining power in trade negotiations. The empirical research will bring together qualitative evidence from case studies with quantitative evidence on both the perception of power and the actual outcomes of trade negotiations. 3.) I will innovate methodologically by combining and comparing three approaches to measuring bargaining power, namely process tracing, attributed influence and preference attainment.The project will make a key contribution not only to the literature on bargaining power in international trade negotiations, but also to research on, e.g. international development, international institutions and the political economy of trade. Fields of science social sciencessociologyglobalizationsocial scienceseconomics and businesseconomicspolitical economysocial scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementcommerce Keywords Trade negotiations bargaining power preferential trade agreements Programme(s) H2020-EU.1.1. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - European Research Council (ERC) Main Programme Topic(s) ERC-2016-COG - ERC Consolidator Grant Call for proposal ERC-2016-COG See other projects for this call Funding Scheme ERC-COG - Consolidator Grant Host institution PARIS-LODRON-UNIVERSITAT SALZBURG Net EU contribution € 1 705 833,00 Address KAPITELGASSE 4-6 5020 Salzburg Austria See on map Region Westösterreich Salzburg Salzburg und Umgebung Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 705 833,00 Beneficiaries (1) Sort alphabetically Sort by Net EU contribution Expand all Collapse all PARIS-LODRON-UNIVERSITAT SALZBURG Austria Net EU contribution € 1 705 833,00 Address KAPITELGASSE 4-6 5020 Salzburg See on map Region Westösterreich Salzburg Salzburg und Umgebung Activity type Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Links Contact the organisation Opens in new window Website Opens in new window Participation in EU R&I programmes Opens in new window HORIZON collaboration network Opens in new window Total cost € 1 705 833,00