Latest content: Trade and economy

The ‘America First’ trade agenda advanced by the current US administration, featuring higher tariffs and stricter trade controls, poses a threat of increased barriers to trade worldwide. The scale and geographical scope of these tariffs mean they are set to exert immensely disruptive effects on trade. Moreover, the ‘on/off’ transactional approach to tariff setting adopted by the US — reflected in constantly changing reciprocal tariff rates and implementation dates — has created unprecedented global turmoil, causing significant uncertainty in international trade, generating confusion in global financial markets and fragmenting global trade flows.

This paper discusses the inequalities and imbalances in current World Trade Organization trade rules that disadvantage African countries and hinder their industrialisation and economic transformation goals.

The Commonwealth Model Law on Digital Trade offers transformative benefits for governments, businesses and consumers across member countries.

By providing legal certainty for electronic communications, records, signatures and contracts, the law eliminates long-standing barriers that have limited the adoption of paperless trade. Its implementation enables faster, more efficient transactions, reducing delays and administrative burdens, and improving overall trade performance.

The World Trade Organization (WTO) promotes collaboration among its 166 member countries, ensuring that trade rules are applied fairly and consistently. Additionally, the WTO’s legal framework provides stability and predictability for international trade, facilitating smooth and reliable trade flows.

Unlocking the future of industry for inclusive, digital-led growth across the Commonwealth

With the recent wave of socio-economic shocks that have impacted the economies of small states, scaling up access to finance remains crucial. Exploring untapped sources of financing is therefore imperative to help member states achieve their development targets, including the Sustainable Development Goals, and build resilient economies.

This paper, the first of a two-part series, unpacks key trends in investment flows to Commonwealth small states, identifying the factors and challenges influencing their ability to attract investment, and exploring innovative models, policies and practices to help grow inward investment.