The article argues that the post-Cold War era of U.S. unipolarity, established by the perceived invincibility demonstrated during the Gulf War, has ended. This decline is driven by globalization and technological diffusion, which have democratized advanced military capabilities, allowing regional actors to challenge major powers. Consequently, policymakers must prepare for a more volatile international order marked by frequent crises, heightened costs for securing global trade chokepoints, and reduced predictability from American power. The new rules dictate that great powers can no longer effortlessly impose their will through force.
Global trade 2026
English Summary
Chatham House argues that global trade is entering a structurally unstable phase in which economic security, geopolitical rivalry, and nationalism increasingly override traditional free-trade norms. The conference framing points to major drivers: a reoriented US trade posture under the second Trump administration, mounting pressure on the WTO and rules-based system, securitized supply chains, and intensified competition over technology and critical materials. It also highlights uneven regional adaptation, with Asian economies seeking growth opportunities while European governments struggle to balance competitiveness, resilience, and domestic political pressures. The strategic implication is that governments and firms should prioritize risk management, supply-chain resilience, and coalition-based rule-setting, while preparing for deeper fragmentation if multilateral mechanisms continue to weaken.
中文摘要
查塔姆研究所（Chatham House）指出，全球貿易正進入一個結構性不穩定階段，經濟安全、地緣政治競爭與民族主義日益凌駕於傳統自由貿易規範之上。該會議的分析框架指出了主要驅動因素：第二屆川普政府下美國貿易立場的重新定向、世界貿易組織（WTO）與規則導向體系所承受的壓力升高、供應鏈安全化，以及圍繞科技與關鍵原材料的競爭加劇。報告亦強調區域調適的不均衡：亞洲經濟體積極尋求成長機會，而歐洲各國政府則在競爭力、韌性與國內政治壓力之間艱難權衡。其戰略意涵在於，政府與企業應優先強化風險管理、供應鏈韌性與以聯盟為基礎的規則制定能力，並在多邊機制持續弱化的情況下，為更深層的碎片化預作準備。
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