## Initiatives

Explore the Forum's initiatives on trade and geopolitics

[Learn more](#)


## From blind spots to insights

In today’s unpredictable world, businesses must enhance their geopolitical radar to navigate emerging risks and opportunities. This report explores how companies are shifting from reactive to proactive strategies, using insights from 25 multinational firms to highlight the value of forward-looking geopolitical foresight.

[Download the White Paper](https://www.weforum.org/publications/from-blind-spots-to-insights-enhancing-geopolitical-radar-to-guide-global-business/)


### Geopolitical rivalry and business

How can policies be designed to attain geopolitical goals through means that do the least harm to cross-border commerce? Doing so requires a stronger understanding of the options and strategies available to the private sector.This initiative gathers actionable insights from companies on how they are adapting and overcoming the challenges posed by geopolitical rivalry.

[First White Paper](https://www.weforum.org/publications/geopolitical-rivalry-and-business-10-recommendations-for-policy-design/)


### How can we navigate change to build a stronger, fairer global economy

Simon Lacey


### Why is globalisation under pressure?

Simon Evenett


### Globalisation is in transition - not retreat, says this analyst of global trade

Simon Evenett


### Trade and values

Countries are increasingly using trade policy to pursue non-trade objectives (NTOs) like climate change and human rights, complicating global trade. Geopolitical tensions, such as the US-China dispute over forced labor, highlight the challenges of aligning trade with values. For businesses, this trend creates tension between economic efficiency and social responsibility. Balancing values with open trade is crucial to maintaining global prosperity, especially for developing countries.

[Read more](https://www.weforum.org/publications/trade-and-values-navigating-the-intersection-of-policy-and-principles/)


## National security and economic development

In an age marked by escalating geopolitical tensions, the imperatives of national security are increasingly impacting trade and investment. Measures such as investment screening, export controls, targeted sanctions and other regulatory interventions are blurring the line between the economic and security policy domains. This dynamic has brought policymakers and regulators from disparate realms—traditionally viewed as two distinct "tribes"—into closer and more frequent interaction. Each tribe brings its own unique worldview, objectives, and policy priorities to the table.

[About](https://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_NatSec_and_EconCooperation_Dialogues_One_Pager_2024.pdf)


### Cooperation over confrontation

How can countries use trade as a bridge to overcome political divides and foster collaboration? The economic arguments are sound, yet misperceptions and mistrust have increased skepticism towards trade.The Forum’s Trade and Geopolitics team aims to leverage the expertise of its community to contribute to a narrative that underlines the potential of trade to foster collaboration. As such, the team has created a repository of case studies and Myth vs. Fact explainers that seek to inform a wider audience about the costs and benefits of trade and drive a more evidence-based narrative.

[Discover more](https://initiatives.weforum.org/trade-and-geopolitics/cooperation-confrontation)


### Part of the Centre for Regions, Trade and Geopolitics

[Discover the Centre](https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-regions-trade-and-geopolitics/home)