Section
Trade & Industry
Trade, industry, value chains, industrial policy, competitiveness and sectoral transformation.
30 published articles
Overview
The Trade & Industry section examines trade, value chains, industrial policy, competitiveness and the transformation of productive sectors. It places corporate strategy, public policy, critical dependencies and the shifts connecting markets with industrial capacity in context.
Featured
China: The Sovereignty of Machines
China's decision to block SoftBank's acquisition of ABB's robotics division reveals a new frontier of industrial sovereignty. As robots become instruments of learning for artificial intelligence, their ownership is no longer merely a matter of corporate strategy. It increasingly
AnalysisRecent publications
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Trade & IndustryGlobal Investment: Growth Without Factories
International capital flows are increasing, but new industrial projects are becoming less frequent. Behind the apparent recovery in foreign direct investment lies a transformation of globalization: major acquisitions, digital infrastructure and financial transactions are accounti
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Trade & IndustryRio Tinto’s $1.4 Billion Lithium Expansion Strengthens Argentina’s Position in Global Battery Supply Chains
The inauguration of two lithium production facilities in Argentina’s Catamarca province reflects a deeper transformation of the global mining industry. Beyond Rio Tinto’s investment lies an intensifying competition among countries to attract capital, develop industrial capacity,
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Trade & IndustryAudi: A Planned $4 Billion US Investment Could Reshape Volkswagen’s Industrial Geography
By announcing its first US factory, Audi is preparing to transform its production network. Behind the investment lies an increasingly consequential choice for multinational companies: manufacture closer to customers to protect market access while preserving the skills and jobs at
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Trade & IndustryMasdar: Emirati Capital Connects Energy and Artificial Intelligence in Europe
With the announced acquisition of more than 550 megawatts of solar capacity in Greece and a parallel partnership with Khazna Data Centers, Abu Dhabi is pursuing a strategy that extends well beyond renewable electricity generation. These agreements point toward a growing convergen
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Trade & IndustryRobotics: The New Geography of Global Industry
The expansion of industrial robotics is reshaping manufacturing, production costs, and the foundations of economic sovereignty.
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Trade & IndustryRolls-Royce: Britain's £3 Billion Bet on Aircraft Propulsion
For more than a decade, Rolls-Royce has left much of the market for single-aisle aircraft engines to its competitors. The British engineering group concentrated its activities on widebody aircraft, military programmes and specialised propulsion systems, gradually withdrawing from
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Trade & IndustryLockheed Martin: The Pentagon Plans a Decade of Industrial Power
At the assembly plants in Fort Worth, Texas, F-35 production depends on an industrial organisation whose complexity extends far beyond that of a conventional aerospace programme. Thousands of companies contribute to manufacturing the fighter jet, from electronic components and sp
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Trade & IndustryVanilla: The Fragile Gold of the Tropics
In São Tomé and Príncipe, vanilla cultivation is opening new opportunities for small farmers. Behind one of the world's most valuable spices lies a much larger economic question: how can tropical countries transform the wealth of their land into lasting prosperity? In the humid p
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Trade & IndustryJapan: The Industrial Price of the American Alliance
By committing to mobilize up to $550 billion to support investment in the United States, Japan is participating in a profound transformation of the economic relationship between Washington and its allies.
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Trade & IndustryVietnam: The New Frontier of Strategic Minerals
There are countries in the international economy whose strategic importance exceeds their apparent economic weight for decades. Vietnam has now entered this category.
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Trade & IndustryTesla: The Flying Car and the End of the People's Electric Dream
With a Roadster promising almost aerospace-level capabilities, Elon Musk is pushing Tesla toward a new technological frontier.
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Trade & IndustryEurope: The China Trade Deficit Becomes a Question of Industrial Survival
For several decades, Europe regarded China as an economic partner whose rise contributed to its own prosperity. European companies found an immense market, a competitive manufacturing base and suppliers capable of reducing costs across their industrial supply chains.