Beijing’s strategic pivot to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America pays dividends as Chinese exporters outmaneuver US trade barriers On a humid January morning at Shenzhen’s Yantian Port, one of the world’s busiest container terminals, the rhythmic clang of cranes loading shipping containers tells a story that Washington policymakers didn’t anticipate. Despite President Donald Trump’s…
The era of seamless globalization has ended. The Economy’s analysis reveals a fragmented trade future where geopolitics trumps economics. Winners will embrace the patchwork, not mourn the old order. Picture a container ship navigating waters that have transformed overnight—no longer a predictable ocean highway but a quilted seascape of shifting currents, each patch governed by…
One year into President Donald Trump’s second term, the landscape of global trade has undergone a profound transformation. The United States, long the steward of the post-1945 liberal economic order, has pivoted decisively toward a protectionist stance. Tariffs—once deployed selectively—have become a central instrument of economic statecraft, applied broadly to adversaries and allies alike. Average…
