Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney and the White House don’t, as a rule, agree on much these days. But they do agree on one thing, namely the need for economic policy to prioritize the domestic drivers of GDP growth, rather than trade. In his explosive Davos speech in January, in which he described a ‘rupture’ in the international order, Carney suggested that ‘building a strong domestic economy … should be every government’s immediate priority’. In the same week, Howard Lutnick, the US Commerce Secretary, made a similar point in the Financial Times, when he declared ‘prosperity begins at home.’
Will the new world order put the brake on trade?
As the Pax Americana fades, policymakers are prioritizing economic security – emerging countries could be the big losers, writes David Lubin.
The World Today
Published 16 March 2026 — 5 minute READ
Image — Houston Port of Authority in Texas, the largest port by tonnage in the US. Global trade could fall sharply as America steps back from the rules-based international order, argues David Lubin. Photo: Brandon Bell/Getty Images.
