The United States leverages its “centrality” within global financial networks, particularly through the dominance of the US dollar and its influence over institutions such as SWIFT, to exert coercive economic pressure on other states. US sanctions policy has increasingly shifted from traditional trade embargoes toward targeted and secondary sanctions, extending pressure to non-sanctioned states and entities maintaining commercial or financial relations with sanctioned countri

In the last few years, especially after COVID-19, the world order has been fragmented with strategic uncertainty and gradual erosion of persisting traditional security arrangements. The post-Cold War liberal international order, which often relied on stable alliances, multilateralism, and most importantly of all, predictable, responsible leadership by major powers, is being transformed into a more contested landscape. Cover by The Geostrata Amid such global flux, countries an

The world as a civilisation progressed through the firm establishment of trading routes among ancient empires, through the maritime routes, evolving to the nuanced Silk Road and then to the creation of the World Trade Organisation. These collective events highlight how important trading has been for any evolved civilisation throughout history across timelines. In the contemporary world, trading is not just limited to the material exchange but has gone beyond to establishing g

The ever-growing trend of bilateral FTAs in the global economy today can provide lessons to New Delhi amid its own push for the same. One such example would be Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia has been restructuring its EU FTA since 2025. The agreement focuses on adding value to the Malaysian semiconductor industry and on moving from assembly to chip design and fabrication. Trade access is being used as leverage to secure technology and R&D investment. Illustration by The Geostrata Th

For far too long, the European Union has treated Pakistan as a strategic exception. That needs to change, as it continues to repeatedly violate nearly everything the EU stands for. At a time when Pakistan continues to enable extremism and suppress dissent, the EU can no longer hide behind diplomatic niceties. Illustration by Eurasian Meridian And to its credit, the EU has often acted with patience and the belief that engagement is better than isolation. The EU must begin aski

On 12 April 2026, Hungary, for the first time in sixteen long years, welcomed a new government to the seat of power. In a watershed moment in Hungarian politics, around 79.5% of Hungary’s electorate turned out to vote in a monumental exercise of democracy. Viktor Orbán, the man who had dominated the seat of power since 2010, was defeated by Peter Magyar by a landslide margin of 138-55. Illustration by The Geostrata This change in governments is not a mere change in ruling par

“There are no permanent friends or allies, only permanent interests.” This quote by Lord Palmerston significantly underlines the fragile nature of relationships in the geopolitical arena, which is increasingly becoming more dynamic and complex in structure. The approach of one size fits all has become obsolete, and nations are embracing a more fluid framework in their pursuit of diplomatic outreach. Illustration by The Geostrata The 27-country European Union is the U.S.’s la

As the first month of 2026 comes to a close, the global economic establishment is less a coherent system and more a fragmented mirror of competing interests. With the EU – India summit less than a week away, the atmosphere is charged with unprecedented urgency. As the EU President Ursula von der Leyen touches down in India alongside other European leaders for Republic Day celebrations on January 26, the long-anticipated India – EU trade deal stands on the precipice of finaliz

For over a decade, Pakistan has enjoyed one of the more generous trade arrangements the European Union offers any developing country. The GSP+ scheme, which grants zero-tariff access for roughly two-thirds of EU tariff lines, was never meant to be an unconditional gift. It was designed as an incentive structure: preferential access in exchange for the ratification and, crucially, the effective implementation of twenty-seven international conventions covering human rights, lab

The Russia-Ukraine conflict of 2022 has triggered significant disruptions in the global value chain, particularly affecting the food and fuel sectors. Stemming from historical tensions and contemporary geopolitical dynamics, the conflict escalated, raising concerns about regional stability and global economic repercussions. Cover by The Geostrata This paper examines the multifaceted impact of the conflict, focusing on the disruption of oil supply chains and agricultural expor

As the EU implements strict anti-deforestation regulations, exporters worldwide now have to prove the sustainability of their supply chains. With the majority of India’s coffee sector relying on EU exports, it must find ways to comply with regulations while protecting the livelihoods of small growers and holding onto market share, as well as aligning with international environmental standards. Illustration by The Geostrata UNDERSTANDING THE EU DEFORESTATION REGULATION (EUDR)

When we talk about Pakistan, trade is not what we immediately think of; well, it comes naturally that the country is rather infamous for being enrolled in an economic crisis, surviving on loans and handouts by the IMF and its ‘AAKA’s from the Persian Gulf. Illustration by The Geostrata Rather than exporting goods and services, they export terrorism across the world. If we take a close look at their trade books, we can see that their aggregate annual exports stand at $ 36.5 bi

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