Geopolitics, Law, and the World Economy

The past decade has witnessed rising geopolitical tensions, sometimes bursting into open conflict, across much of the globe. This so-called “return of geopolitics” challenges the foundations of the integrated world economy that has emerged since World War II. As states become wary of interdependence and great powers deploy their economic might to advance geopolitical aims, can the international legal regimes that govern international trade, investment, and finance survive? How can they adapt? This seminar will explore these questions through a selection of case studies, including economic sanctions around the Ukraine war; U.S.-China tensions on semiconductors, artificial intelligence and other critical technologies; strategic uses of loans and trade agreements (e.g., China’s Belt and Road initiative and U.S. trade negotiations in Asia); the WTO’s security exception to global trade rules; and challenges to the U.S. dollar’s role in international trade and finance.