By Shalini Bhutani | Commentary | December 27, 2025
As 2025 draws to a close, it is plain to see that the year has been marked by US President Trump singularly undertaking a round of bilateral trade talks with several countries across the world. It is important to consider how his modus operandi tramples on democratic processes and principles in the United States. It can be argued that unilateral decision-making by the USA has been ongoing before and even after multilateral fora such as the World Trade Organization (WTO)…
By Kavaljit Singh | Briefing Paper # 70 | October 27, 2025
The Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4) was held in Sevilla (Spain), from June 30 to July 3, 2025, amidst a challenging global economic and geopolitical environment. The FfD4 took place against the backdrop of rising global debt levels, backsliding of developmental goals, escalating geopolitical tensions, weakening of multilateralism and international solidarity, and severe climate shocks.
The FfD4 was the fourth in a series of international conferences convened by the United Nations. Its primary objectives were to close…
By Shalini Bhutani | Guest Blog | September 26, 2025
The fact that the United States has an interest in agricultural trade is well known. However, the extent to which the state machinery is invested in promoting its brand of agriculture across the world is explained by the Administration’s support of the American seed and agribusiness industry. In the words of the Under Secretary for Trade and Foreign Agricultural Affairs Luke J. Lindberg, “President Trump is putting American agriculture first by negotiating fair, reciprocal deals that benefit U.S….
By Kavaljit Singh | Briefing Paper # 69 | August 7, 2025
The executive orders signed by U.S. President Donald Trump last week to levy a 25 percent tariff on India, coupled with an additional 25 percent tariff announced on 6 August for its purchases of Russian oil, have posed new hurdles to the ongoing fast-track negotiations on an India-U.S. bilateral trade agreement (BTA).
The additional 25 percent tariff, which will come into effect from 27 August if India continues to buy oil from Russia, will effectively bring the total tariff on…
By Kavaljit Singh | Briefing Paper # 68 | June 20, 2025
The term “international financial architecture” is currently experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development (FfD4), scheduled for June 30 to July 3, 2025, in Spain. Despite the extensive discourse surrounding this concept since the late 1990s, there is no universally accepted definition of what is meant by the term “international financial architecture” (IFA). Generally speaking, IFA refers to a comprehensive framework comprising institutions, agreements, policies, rules, and practices that govern the…
