international trade
Reports on international trade See all →
RCEP: A wake-up call for Europe to increase competitiveness
Through RCEP, Asian and Pacific countries have created the largest and most powerful trade zone in the world. Although there is no lack of geopolitical tension in the region, the member states have put aside political issues to prioritize economic growth. This could serve as an example for Europe, which has recently turned down a large transatlantic trade deal because of misguided and politicized fear-mongering. If the European Union wants to remain competitive, it will need a more pragmatic approach to trade.
Oil, race and sovereignty in the Greater Caribbean
The geopolitics of the Caribbean region is dominated by natural resources, disputes over sovereignty and the growing salience of national identities. Oil-dependent Venezuela is in steep decline but sustained by allies, while an underdeveloped Guyana is expecting a major energy windfall. In the long term, China will use both carrot ...
The future of free trade
Free trade is undergoing a dip in popularity, as it gives way to economic nationalism in many parts of the globe. Much of this comes down to the WTO and its failure to rein in China’s unfair economic practices since 2001. Washington wants to bring about fundamental changes in the ...
Portugal is key to China’s Euro-African strategy
Like a white knight, China stepped in after Portugal’s 2011 bankruptcy with billions of dollars in investment. After centuries of trade and cultural exchange, it helped the relationship between the two countries flourish. Now China sees Portugal as a crucial cog in its strategy to exert influence and expand trade ...
Covid-19’s long-term geopolitical impact
It is clear now that the Covid-19 pandemic will reshape geopolitics in lasting ways. Country size, effective healthcare measures, economic policy and vaccine development are now the crucial factors. China knows this, and is using its early exit from the pandemic’s worst throes to get a leg up over the ...
