Protectionism growing. According to Global Trade Alert (GTA), which monitors trade tensions, protectionism is at its highest level since 2009. A third of the measures taken involve increased customs duties and traditional trade protection measures but since July 2011 new forms of protectionism such as discriminatory investment measures, export subsidies, discriminatory bailouts, wage subsidies, and so on have been employed. These measures are causing concern insofar as they have been taken by major economies and directly impact on their trade partners. At the end of December 2011, the World Bank identified 1,593 measures taken at national level in the world, introduced between November 2008 and November 2011. These include 1,187 discriminatory measures against foreign providers. Argentina, Russia, India and China are some of the most protectionist countries. Argentina alone uses 182 different trade protectionist measures. This trend can be found throughout Mercosur countries. At the end of last December, these countries had increased their import taxes by up to 35% on products from outside the customs union (developed by Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay) in an effort to compensate the trade imbalances provoked by the international economic situation. With 80 protectionist measures adopted in Brazil, the country has also announced the introduction of a 30% tax on imported vehicles, 65% at least of which are not supplied by Brazil itself or Mercosur countries. GTA has identified 172 protectionist measures in Russia, which is attempting to protect its industry, particularly industrial assembly, together with investment measures adopted in June 2011. Up until 2020, 50% of cars will have to be equipped with an engine or transmission device manufactured in the country. India is capitalising on 101 protectionist measures. In addition to sectors that are traditionally closed off from competition, the country suspended its project to open up the distribution sector at the beginning of December (which is worth around €345 billion) to foreign companies such as Carrefour, Wal-Mart and Tesco. GTA has recorded 94 protectionist measures in China. Although foreign companies were already complaining of investment restrictions, China decided to impose anti-dumping taxes on high fuel consumption US cars last December for a two-year period. The US and Europe are not immune to this trend. The measures taken, however, are less visible. In the US 106 measures have been counted and the countries in Europe that have introduced the most protectionist measures are the United Kingdom (86 measures), Germany (82 measures), France (77 measures), Spain and Italy (68 measures), Hungary (66 measures), Poland and Greece (65 measures), Ireland (64 measures), Sweden (63 measures), Finland (61 measures) and Portugal (60 measures). (IL/transl.fl)