Trends Transforming Trade

Much of today’s criticism of globalisation is rooted in a fundamental misunderstanding. Globalisation is often treated as synonymous with global trade, and when economic outcomes disappoint, trade itself is blamed. This conflation obscures the real issue. Global trade is only one element of globalisation, and it is not inherently harmful. The problem lies in how globalisation has been structured and who it has been designed to serve.

1. What the Rules-Based International Order Was

After World War II, Western powers — especially the United States — built a system of international institutions and norms designed to manage global cooperation. This included frameworks for trade (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, later the WTO), collective security (NATO, United Nations), financial stability (Bretton Woods institutions), and international law. For decades, this framework helped reduce barriers to trade, create dispute resolution mechanisms, and generally provided predictability in global affairs.

Language, context, and cultural understanding are fundamental to inclusive trade. Indigenous business leaders and communities bring unique knowledge systems, decision-making practices, and storytelling methods that can strengthen global trade programs and supply chains. Embedding Indigenous voices as co-educators and co-designers ensures that trade initiatives are culturally relevant, ethically guided, and globally competitive.

Indigenous trade practices have long emphasised adaptability, ecological stewardship, and diversified networks—principles that are increasingly relevant for modern global supply chains. From the Yup’ik communities of Alaska to Māori fisheries in Aotearoa/New Zealand, Indigenous enterprises demonstrate how traditional knowledge can inform risk management, ecological sustainability, and resilient trade networks.

European Union lawmakers have moved to halt approval of an EU–U.S. trade deal and accompanying tariff discussions in response to recent U.S. tariff threats tied to negotiations over Greenland. Parliament leaders have indicated that a trade agreement cannot proceed at this stage given the current climate, effectively suspending formal tariff talks with the United States.

The “EU trade bazooka” isn’t a literal weapon — it’s a nickname for the European Union’s Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), a powerful legal tool designed to protect the EU and its member states from economic coercion by third countries.

Knowledge is the lifeblood of trade. In Indigenous cultures around the world, knowledge is gathered, shared, and preserved through oral traditions, storytelling, and community practice. These methods are not only cultural expressions—they are sophisticated systems for managing resources, guiding trade relationships, and sustaining supply chains. Integrating Indigenous knowledge gathering practices into global trade can enhance innovation, resilience, and cultural respect.

In Indigenous cultures around the world, relationships form the foundation of trade—not just transactions. From the Māori of Aotearoa/New Zealand to the Quandamooka People of Stradbroke Island, Indigenous trade practices prioritise trust, reciprocity, and long-term partnerships. These principles offer vital lessons for global trade and supply chains today, strengthening ethical, resilient, and inclusive networks.

Global trade is more than goods moving across borders—it’s relationships, knowledge, culture, and sustainability. Indigenous enterprises and communities worldwide have been shaping trade for generations through ethical practices, ecological stewardship, and intergenerational knowledge transfer.

Introduction

SMEs supply the specialised inputs, services, and logistics that underpin global value chains. Their integration into international trade is essential, and policies that lower barriers can dramatically increase their participation in global markets.

Introduction

SMEs are central to Agro-value chains and labour-intensive manufacturing. They process, pack, and add value to raw goods, enabling small producers to reach international markets and sustain livelihoods.

Introduction

SMEs are agile but financially vulnerable. They lack buffers, so shocks such as pandemics, shipping disruptions, and commodity swings hit them hard. Targeted support enables rapid adaptation and keeps trade networks functioning.

Introduction

Despite their importance, SMEs face persistent barriers to scaling internationally. Constraints in finance, compliance, digital access, and managerial skills limit global participation.

Introduction

Digital innovation, financial technology, and green upgrading are transforming the way SMEs engage in global trade. Digital marketplaces, traceability systems, and fintech solutions lower entry costs, expand market access, and enable SMEs to participate in sustainable supply chains. Meanwhile, environmental sustainability is increasingly a prerequisite for global market inclusion.

Introduction

A coherent policy approach is essential to maximize SME contributions to trade, innovation, and employment. Governments and trade partners can enable SMEs to overcome barriers, scale sustainably, and meet international standards through coordinated interventions.

By the Global Trade Professionals Alliance (GTPA)

Introduction

SMEs are central to sustainable, resilient, and inclusive trade. As climate change and social inclusion become priorities, SME participation in global markets is critical. Supporting SMEs to decarbonize, scale sustainably, and integrate into trade networks is essential for achieving global economic and environmental goals.

As 2025 has closed, organisations and SMEs have navigated an environment of unprecedented complexity—rapid digital transformation, shifting trade policies, and supply chain disruptions.

Looking ahead, 2026 promises even greater unpredictability in global trade, digital commerce, and regulatory landscapes. In such a dynamic context, building resilient, adaptable trade capability is no longer optional—it’s essential.

As 2025 comes to a close, we want to thank our community for your continued support during a challenging year for global trade and supply chains. This year tested every SME—and everyone supporting SMEs in global trade—but it also reinforced the importance of resilience, adaptability, and building strong foundations for the future.

In today’s fast-changing global marketplace, a resilient and diversified supply chain is key to your SME’s success. The Supply Chain Survival Toolkitprovides you with the expertise, practical tools, and credentials to navigate complexity and stay competitive—now and into the future.

Global commerce is increasingly complex. Shifting tariffs, evolving regulations, and supply chains that sometimes seem to move according to their own mysterious logic can leave even the savviest SMEs scratching their heads. In fact, if there were a Global Tariff and Paperwork Apocalypse (GTPA) ranking, many small businesses might feel they’re perpetually on the leaderboard.

2025 has tested the resilience of every SME — from supply chain shocks to shifting trade rules and unpredictable markets.

If your team has been in survival mode, you’re not alone. The challenge now is turning survival into stability.

Are you an SME ready to navigate the complexities of international trade and logistics? The SME Survival Toolkit equips your business with essential knowledge, practical tools, and recognised credentials to thrive in the global marketplace.

Are you an SME ready to conquer the complexities of international trade and logistics? The SME Logistics Survival Kit is designed just for you—a comprehensive, flexible package that equips you with the knowledge, tools, and credentials to thrive in the global marketplace.

Modern agriculture often draws on high-tech inputs and monocultures, but globally, Indigenous and traditional farming systems continue to show how deeply rooted ecological knowledge can deliver sustainable productivity — and even become part of international trade. Across continents, communities are reviving ancestral methods, stewarding biodiversity, and producing unique crops that command niche markets around the world.

Pollinators’ contributions extend beyond crop yields; they also produce honey, a product that combines economic value, cultural significance, and ecological insight. Often called “liquid gold,” honey reflects the health of the ecosystems from which it comes and the skill of those who cultivate it.

As global agriculture faces rising pressures from climate change, habitat loss, and growing populations, technology is emerging as a vital tool to support pollinators.

Advanced solutions are transforming how we monitor, manage, and even supplement pollinator activity, bridging ecological needs with human innovation.

If you sell, source, ship, assemble, or distribute products across borders, you’re probably focused on the things that feel most immediate: logistics, supplier pricing, margins, product listings, packaging, and delivery timelines.

Modern science increasingly validates what Indigenous and traditional communities have known for centuries: pollinators thrive when human practices work in harmony with nature.

Across the globe, these communities have developed sustainable practices that maintain biodiversity, protect habitats, and optimise agricultural cycles.

Introduction 

SMEs are engines of job creation, innovation, and income generation. They often employ youth and women, providing pathways out of poverty and reducing inequality. Their experimental capacity drives local innovation, with successful practices often scaling into broader markets.

Pollinators are the silent partners in agriculture and global trade, yet their protection requires deliberate action from both policymakers and industry leaders.

Securing the future of pollination means integrating ecological stewardship directly into trade and agricultural systems.

Part 1 — Backbone: Why SMEs Matter Everywhere 

Introduction

Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the engine room of every economy—they make up most firms, create most jobs, and link local production to global markets. Protecting and enabling SMEs is central to resilient, inclusive trade. They operate across every sector, from manufacturing to tech to services, underpinning economic diversity and local resilience.

Chile Pacific Foundation Hosts Webinar on Strengthening Chile–Australia Collaboration

The Chile Pacific Foundation is pleased to invite participants to an insightful webinar dedicated to exploring the full potential for collaboration, trade, and investment between Chile and Australia. This special event comes at a significant moment, as both nations celebrate the 80th anniversary of their diplomatic relations—an ideal backdrop for renewed dialogue and future-focused partnerships.

Over the past weekend, Australia experienced a notable shift in its trade landscape. The United States lifted tariffs on more than 200 food products, including Australian beef, while the Albanese government advanced its internal agenda to abolish hundreds of low-revenue “nuisance tariffs.” Together, these developments underscore a growing commitment to open trade and economic efficiency, promising opportunities for exporters and cost reductions for domestic businesses.

Argentina has faced recurring economic crises, leading to repeated interventions by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Since joining the IMF in 1956, the country has participated in approximately 23 financial arrangements, among the highest globally. The most recent program, approved on 11 April 2025, established a US$20 billion Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to stabilise the economy amid high inflation and a depreciating peso.

Pollinators are indispensable to both ecosystems and economies, yet they face a growing array of threats. Climate change, habitat loss, pesticides, and diseases—including Colony Collapse Disorder—are taking a toll on bee populations worldwide.

The implications extend far beyond the hive, reaching into the heart of global agriculture and trade.

Pollinators are not only the unseen workforce behind the world’s crops—they are sometimes literally commodities in the global economy.

Bees, transported across continents in carefully managed shipments, highlight a fascinating intersection between ecology and commerce, where living creatures become essential cargo sustaining agriculture worldwide.

Pollinators are far more than the gentle agents of flowers—they are vital engines of the global economy.

By transferring pollen from plant to plant, bees, butterflies, and other pollinating species underpin agricultural productivity and international trade, translating their ecological work directly into billions of dollars in economic value.

Exploring Nature and Connections to Global Trade

The Bee Series explores the intersections between nature, ecosystems, and global trade, highlighting their relevance to the 2026 Festival of Inclusive Trade and the global climate and biodiversity agendas. Bees provide a unique lens to examine how ecological systems underpin food security, commerce, and supply chains. Through their journeys and pollination work, we see the deep interconnections between natural systems and trade networks—and why protecting these connections matters to economies, communities, and the planet.

In today’s interconnected world, Governments and industry need innovative platforms that bring together diverse stakeholders—policymakers, business leaders, creative professionals, and community representatives—to collaborate on shared priorities.

The Festival of Inclusive Trade demonstrates the power of such an approach. By creating Showcase Days, the Festival offers a curated, high-impact forum that integrates sector-specific panels, workshops, keynote dialogues, and cultural presentations. These events provide governments with a mechanism to advance policy objectives, while enabling industry and business to contribute practical expertise, drive innovation, and form strategic partnerships.

Supply-chain watchers and global trade enthusiasts — here is your latest snapshot of what’s shaking the world of goods, ports, and pipelines. Over the last four days, we’ve seen movements that could ripple across every port, warehouse, and boardroom from New York to Nairobi. Let’s break it down.