MEXICO CITY, March 12 (Xinhua) -- The growing wave of protectionism put countries' "conventional knowledge" of their partners in doubt, said Jose Angel Gurria, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

At the opening of the 2018 OECD Mexico Forum, Gurria said it is widely believed that countries become more vulnerable when their trading partners hold different convictions.

"The problem today is that the growing wave of protectionism, populism and nationalism ... put this conventional knowledge in doubt," said the former Mexican foreign minister.

"We should also make full use of the help available from other markets, of other investors, of other scientists, of other technologies to complement our own," he said.

Gurria said Mexico urgently needs to reform and modernize its laws and regulatory norms, especially given the advance of digital technology and greater international competition.

The latest round of protectionism was triggered by U.S. steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum.

U.S. President Donald Trump last week formally signed proclamations to impose a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and a 10-percent tariff on aluminum, causing mounting dissent among business groups and trading partners around the world.