Category: International Economic Relations
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EU Competitiveness Ambitions: A Poor Report Card
Main Question: Does the new MFF proposal provide sufficient resources to meet the EU’s strategic competitiveness ambitions Argument: The Competitiveness Fund is insufficient compared to the Draghi report’s €800bn annual target. Essentially, it relies on shuffling existing funds rather than “new money,” leaving key sectors like semiconductors and green tech underfunded. Conclusion: The current proposal…
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Editorial: EPIS Report on International Economic Relations Issue I
Main Question: How are economic policies becoming tools of national security and global power? Argument: Trade wars and shifting alliances show that economics and geopolitics are increasingly intertwined. Conclusion: Balance national interests with global cooperation
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India’s New Trade Playbook with Europe
What do the contrasting India–EFTA TEPA and India–EU FTA negotiations reveal about India’s evolving trade policy? The TEPA’s rapid conclusion versus the EU FTA’s long deadlock shows India’s shift from defensive multilateralism to pragmatic, investment-led bilateralism that prioritises industrial goals over tariff cuts. India is not rejecting globalisation but reshaping it, opening selectively on its…
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Europe’s CRMs midstream gap:
How can Europe decrease its dependencies on the Chinese midstream industry in the critical raw material supply line? Engaging with Southern African countries like Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia might be part of the solution. There exists a rare strategic incentive overlap for equal cooperation between Europe and these Southern African countries.
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Conclusion: Trade Wars
Question: How do trade wars reshape the global economy, and how can states respond? Argument: Trade wars disrupt supply chains, raise prices, and drive economic nationalism, requiring diversification, digital innovation, and multilateral cooperation. Conclusion: Managing trade wars needs flexible, strategic, and cooperative approaches to sustain stable and open global trade
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Policy Recommendation: Trade Policy
Question: How do trade wars impact global economics, and how can states respond? Argument: Trade wars disrupt supply chains, raise prices, and weaken multilateral institutions; mitigation requires diversification, digital standards, and multilateral trust. Conclusion: States can reduce trade war risks through diversified trade, anti-coercion measures, tech agreements, and multilateral engagement
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Post-Trump defense shifts
Question: How did Trump’s policies affect Europe’s defense industry? Argument: “America First” pushed Europe to spend more and seek autonomy, helping local contractors Conclusion: Growth continues, but supply chain and budget limits remain
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Impact of Tariffs: Indo-Pacific Trade Agreements
Question: How are tariffs used as foreign policy tools in the Indo-Pacific? Argument: Tariffs now signal political intent, reshape supply chains, and interact with FTAs like RCEP and CPTPP amid geopolitical rivalry. Conclusion: They drive selective integration, strategic realignment, and regional technological competition.
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Tariffs: Domestic Costs, Global Repercussions
Question: How have U.S. tariffs since 2018 impacted inflation and global markets? Argument: Meant to protect industries, tariffs raised costs, pushed up consumer prices, disrupted supply chains, and provoked retaliation. Conclusion: Protectionism offers short-term political wins but fuels inflation, harms trade, and destabilizes markets.
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Effects of Trade Wars on the Bretton Woods System
Question: How have Bretton Woods institutions adapted to new economic realities? Argument: Once stabilizing post-war economies, the IMF, World Bank, and WTO now face declining trust amid Western isolationism and rising BRICS influence. Conclusion: Global economic governance is fragmenting, requiring policymakers to plan for long-term geopolitical and economic shifts.