Harvard Business School

EBEHI IYOHA

Economist

Uncovering how global trade is being secretly rewired

About
Ebehi Iyoha

Assistant Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School.

My research examines how trade policy and emerging technologies reshape global value chains—from US-China trade war rerouting to AI adoption in Africa. I combine rigorous econometric methods with real-world policy implications.

Research Interests

International TradeIndustrial OrganizationProduction NetworksAI AdoptionFintechEmerging Markets

Education

PhD EconomicsVanderbilt University, 2021
BS EconomicsLoyola Marymount University, 2014
Research

Selected Work

Research at the intersection of international trade, technology adoption, and development economics.

2024
Featured in Harvard Business Review

Exports in Disguise? Trade Rerouting During the US-China Trade War

with Edmund Malesky, Jaya Wen, Sung-Ju Wu

Reveals how firms circumvent tariffs through third countries, fundamentally reshaping global trade patterns and challenging traditional policy assumptions.

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2025

The Role of African Fintechs in Facilitating Telemigration

with Omolola Amoussou, Paul Okundaye

Examines how fintech innovations enable Africa's digital services exports, creating new pathways for economic participation in the global economy.

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2023

Estimating Productivity in the Presence of Spillovers

Provides firm-level evidence from US production networks, advancing our understanding of how productivity effects propagate through interconnected markets.

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2025

Navigating Choppy Waters: How US Trade Policy Uncertainty Affects Small Businesses

with Dave Atkin, Zoë Cullen

Investigates the disproportionate impact of trade policy uncertainty on small enterprises and their adaptive strategies.

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Teaching

Courses

"My teaching emphasizes how entrepreneurs navigate regulated markets and cross-border complexity."

Launching Global Ventures

2025–Present
MBA Elective

Preparing entrepreneurs to navigate international markets and build global businesses.

The Entrepreneurial Manager

2022–2025
Required MBA

Core curriculum course on entrepreneurial decision-making and venture management.

Media

In the Media

Selected coverage, commentary, and expert analysis on global trade, tariffs, and emerging markets.

30 Oct 2025HBS BiGSHow U.S. trade uncertainty is buffeting small business28 Oct 2025HBS BiGSTrade tariffs, rerouting and the price of uncertainty27 May 2025New York TimesA Vermont Start-Up Was Close to Becoming Profitable. Then the Tariffs Hit.27 May 2025PYMNTSSmall Businesses Say Administration's Tariffs Are 'Appalling and Hard to Deal With'08 May 2025Asia CentricEvading US Tariffs Becomes a Game of Whack-a-Mole02 May 2025Harvard UniversityFive Awardees of the Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa16 Apr 2025Harvard CrimsonTrump Tariffs Mean Chaos for Consumers, HBS Professors Say12 Apr 2025CNBCHow China Used Vietnam to Evade Higher U.S. Tariffs08 Apr 2025Harvard CIDCID Faculty Spotlight: Ebehi Iyoha on Trade Wars, Network Effects, and Why Microdata Matters05 Apr 2025FortuneWhat Is Trump Really Trying to Achieve with His Tariff Plan, and Will It Work?04 Apr 2025HBS Working KnowledgeCharting Tariff Pain: Small Businesses Brace for Jobs Cuts, Falling Sales03 Apr 2025UK InvestorHow Will Vietnam Handle Trump's Trade Escalation?06 Mar 2025BloombergGermany's Shock Turns to Anger — and Animal Spirits28 Feb 2025BloombergAmerica's Trade War With China Should Be a Team Sport23 Feb 2025Financial TimesVietnam Can Escape the Middle-Income Trap13 Feb 2025Harvard Business ReviewResearch: The Costs of Circumventing Tariffs22 Jan 2025VoxChinaExports in Disguise: Trade Rerouting During the US-China Trade War?21 Jan 2025Nikkei AsiaTrump Should View Vietnam as a Trade Partner, Not a Target19 Dec 2024HBS Working KnowledgeSeven Trends to Watch in 202517 Dec 2024New York TimesTrump's Tariffs Helped Northern Vietnam Boom Like Never Before. What Now?26 Nov 2024FulcrumVietnam, China and Rerouting: When Perceptions Matter as Much as Reality24 Oct 2024HBS Working KnowledgeCharting the US-China Trade War: What Does 'Made in Vietnam' Mean?23 Jul 2024HBS Working KnowledgeThe New Rules of Trade with China: Navigating Tariffs, Turmoil, and Opportunities15 Dec 2023Harvard Business SchoolBehind the Research: Ebehi Iyoha05 Oct 2022Harvard Business SchoolNew Faculty Profiles: Ebehi Iyoha

For media inquiries, speaking engagements, or expert commentary, please get in touch.

Contact

Get in Touch

For research collaborations, speaking inquiries, or media requests.

Email

eiyoha (at) hbs (dot) edu

Office

Rock Center 212

Harvard Business School