Global trade 2024

The role of the UK in the global trade landscape.

• Which geopolitical risks are likely to have the greatest impact on global trade and what steps can businesses take to navigate this changing and complex environment?

• How can the twin transition of digital and green economies be effectively managed to foster supply chains resiliency?

• What role will the WTO play moving forward, and will its position be threatened by increased bilateral and regional trade agreements?

• What impact will the rise of industrial policies and the desire to strengthen economic and national security have on open and rules-based international trading systems in the long term?

• Will competition between the US and China be intensified by the presidential election and how can actors best respond?

• How will European Parliament elections change the bloc’s approach to trade with external actors?

• What would an election in the UK mean for realizing the goals it set by joining the CPTPP?

• Will these elections present new opportunities to build new alliances and free trade agreements to foster open and global trade?

• Where are the key advantages going to be seen in combining artificial intelligence with the tools of trade?

• Why are the risks presented by AI different to those posed by more traditional forms of digital trade?

• Do political stakeholders need to embrace a more unified approach to regulating AI so there is commonality across the international system?

• Will embracing AI allow other countries to challenge the US, China and the EU as a future leader of the global trade landscape?

• Where is India looking to grow in the global economy and how resilient is the government’s plan to external geopolitical factors?

• What role will the country’s multinational conglomerates play in achieving the stated aim of becoming a high-middle-income country by 2047?

• How will the country balance growth with environmental considerations and what are the risks and opportunities associated with its “green protectionist” policies?

• Will India further embrace AI, emerging technology and its large digital public infrastructure yet further as part of a sustained growth plan?

Exclusive to in person participants and held under the Chatham House Rule.

• How can businesses ensure they are not just adopting the language of ESG, but instead integrate ESG considerations across their supply chains?

• What role can technology play in delivering supply chain transparency and traceability?

• What can be done to reduce supply chain vulnerabilities in sectors that rely heavily on critical minerals?

• How do we create the optimum public/private partnership model for pushing towards greater diversification of supply chains for an economy?

Exclusive to in person participants and held under the Chatham House Rule.

• Why are central banks looking to innovate in this area and what can the business and financial community do to support this and create an integrated system?

• What makes Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) safer than private cryptocurrency and blockchain technology?

• What are the current vulnerabilities in this technology and what could the ramifications be for the evasion of sanctions?

• How do central banks and governments plan to support the uptake of digital currencies among their populations?