Rodrigo Balbontin
Associate Director
Trade, IP, and Digital Technology Governance
Rodrigo Balbontin is an associate director covering trade, IP, and digital technology governance at ITIF. Rodrigo has extensive experience in policy design and research at the intersection of economic growth and innovation policy topics, such as science, technology and innovation governance, digital economy and trade agreements, and internet governance. Rodrigo is often a guest lecturer on Southeast Asia's digital domain at the U.S. Department of State Foreign Service Institute.
Prior to joining ITIF, Rodrigo served as associate director of digital economy, policy, and innovation at The Asia Foundation. Prior to that, Rodrigo worked as an innovation policy consultant at the World Bank. As a consultant, he also served at the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the Ministry of Finance of Peru, and the Foundation for Agricultural Innovation in Chile. He earlier served at the Directorate of Budget at the Ministry of Finance of Chile, where he was involved in the design of the Chilean National Innovation System reform, and as an intern at the Science and Technology Policy Division at OECD.
Rodrigo holds a master's degree in science and technology policy from the University of Sussex and a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of Chile.
Research Areas
Recent Publications
Retaliatory Tariffs Could Cut US ITA Exports by $56 Billion
An ITIF model shows how foreign retaliation to tariffs announced by the Trump administration would reduce U.S. exports of the advance manufactured goods covered under the WTO’s Information Technology Agreement.
Rights and Wrongs: Trying to Understand Trump’s Trade Policy
Trump is right to confront unfair trade—but without strategic focus and allied cooperation, his tariffs risk handing the global economy to China.
Low Tariffs Aren’t Enough: Korea Should Remove Its Trade Barriers With the United States
South Korea faces a strategic decision: Address persistent trade asymmetries, or risk straining its long-standing alliance with the United States and lose autonomy vis-à-vis China. What’s needed is a genuine reset—one grounded in open trade and closer coordination with Washington to counter mercantilist practices.
Liberation Day Tariffs Miss the Real Target: China
The Trump administration’s "Liberation Day" tariffs foolishly alienate allies instead of strategically targeting China, inadvertently weakening U.S. competitiveness and handing a win to Beijing.
