Kamala Harris and Donald Trump are deadlocked in every swing state just a month away from the US elections. In her pitch to American voters, she’s been homing in on middle class needs. Underlying these domestic issues is a frantic race to keep the US ahead in a global contest with China that will require the sitting Vice President, if elected, to shape her own imprint on how America engages with the world. The Harris campaign remains largely silent on trade, boxed in by the Biden legacy, the Democratic base, and what voters want to hear. Keith Rockwell plumbs her track record and the advisors she has assembled to sketch the contours of a Harris trade policy. As we prepare to launch our Sustainable Trade Index 2024 with IMD, check out our experimental podcast briefing on industrial policy created with Google’s NotebookLM. David Horlock advises how universities can integrate education on standards into their curricula to meet the needs of the innovation economy. Plus, see what we have been reading on the pushback against Chinese EVs. Don’t miss upcoming events for a book launch on techno-nationalism as well as a workshop for trade businesses on Singapore’s TradeTrust.
US ELECTIONS
What Kamala Harris leaves open on US trade and economic policy
Keith Rockwell 8 October 2024
Three months ago, it was all but certain that Kamala Harris would vacate the White House along with her boss in the new year. Now, the sitting Vice President, thrust to the top of the Democratic ticket, is racing neck-and-neck against Donald Trump. As the long-shot savior of a White House that has done little to differentiate itself from Trump’s trade legacy, Harris has stayed largely scripted on how her Presidency might engage the global economy. Her track record and choice of advisors frame the outlines of a trade outlook marked by inherited positions on tariffs and China, but potentially more careful calibration on Big Tech regulation, climate cooperation, and US strategic needs. Senior Research Fellow Keith Rockwell profiles the silhouette of the potential Harris trade policy.
The race for resilience: The Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index 2024
Hinrich Foundation
IMD
The third edition of the Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index will be launched on 22 October. This year’s Index addresses the need for resilience amid rising climate crises, geopolitical instability, and supply chain disruptions. Ahead of its launch, here’s an experimental podcast briefing on industrial policy that we created using Google’s new AI tool NotebookLM. The Hinrich Foundation and IMD will also hold a webinar panel on industrial policy on 24 October to mark the Index’s launch, featuring IMD’s Christos Cabolis, Simon Evenett, and the Hinrich Foundation’s Chuin Wei Yap and Deborah Elms.
The EU is moving forward with tariffs on Chinese EVs, while the Biden administration is considering banning Chinese software and hardware in vehicles due to security concerns. Experts are pushing for trade rules reforms, with some advocating freer trade and some warning that a strong dollar harms the US. Meanwhile, companies are struggling to maintain subsea telecommunications cables in the geopolitically sensitive South China Sea. Check out what we've been reading.
Learn how to make trade efficient and sustainable with Singapore’s blockchain-based paperless documentation framework TradeTrust. The TradeTrust team at Singapore’s IMDA, in collaboration with the Hinrich Foundation, is hosting a clinic on how TradeTrust can help trade practitioners and industry. The TradeTrust Clinic will be held at the Foundation’s office on Thursday, 17 October. Sign up here.
In an innovation-driven global economy, the establishment and adherence to standards play a pivotal role in ensuring product quality, process efficiency, and ethical conduct across industries. As universities prepare students for careers in diverse sectors, supply chain expert David Horlock advises how schools can integrate education on standards into their curricula.
‘Techno-Nationalism: How It’s Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics, and Society’
Hinrich Foundation Research Fellow and Senior Lecturer at the National University of Singapore Business School Alex Capri’s new book, Techno-Nationalism: How It’s Reshaping Trade, Geopolitics, and Society, was published last month. The book wends through themes and case studies of state power, industrial revolutions, and economic statecraft, from undersea cables to outer-space satellites. Register here for our joint book launch with the National University of Singapore Business School.
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