The new geopolitics of trade: what are the implications for the global trading system?

The US-China geopolitical conflict and the Russian war in Ukraine are having profound implications in the global trading system. Some experts talk of a new era of deglobalisation where there would be little role for rule-based multilateral cooperation. 

The talk took place a week after the 12th WTO Ministerial Conference. It provided an opportunity to reflect about possible future scenarios for the global trading system, including the prospects for WTO reform.

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This public lecture was held on Monday 27 June 2022.

Meet the speakers

Ignacio Garcia Bercero is Director in charge of Multilateral Affairs, Strategy and economic Analysis at DG Trade in the European Commission. Active at the European Commission since 1987, from 2012 he was Director responsible for overseeing EC activities in the fields of Neighboring Countries, US and Canada. He was Chief Negotiator for the TTIP negotiations. Between 2005-2011 he was director  in the areas of Sustainable Development, Bilateral Trade Relations (South Asia, South-East Asia, Korea, EuroMed and the Middle East). Mr Garcia Becero was also the Chief Negotiator for the EU-Korea and EU-India Free Trade Agreements. Before that, he was head of unit for WTO Dispute Settlement. He has written several papers and publications on WTO matters, Safeguard Measures, Trade and Competition, Dispute Settlement and Regulatory Cooperation. In 2020, he completed a fellowship at Saint Anthony’s College (Oxford), where his research focused on WTO reform. Mr Garcia Bercero holds a Law Degree from the Law Faculty of Universidad Complutense, Madrid and a Master of Laws Degree (with Distinction) from University College, London.

Julius Sen is an Associate Director and Senior Programme Advisor at LSE Enterprise, the commercial arm of the London School of Economics and Political Science which organises customised executive education programmes and consultancy projects on behalf of the School. Julius has extensive experience in policy making and implementation in government, together with his academic and analytical expertise in trade, regulation, competitiveness, and economic policy related issues. Much of his current work is associated with assessing political, regulatory, strategic and other types of risk that both governments and the private sector are concerned about