News Updates

USMCA; ‘REGIONAL PROTECTIONISM’:
PRETEXT FOR A NORTH AMERICAN CUSTOMS UNION?

Opinion | ‘Canada can’t afford to sit out the trade war on our borders’

‘CANADA MUST ALIGN OUR TARIFF POLICIES’ WITH MEXICO, U.S.
Financial Post (Canada), Aug 26, 2024 – For Canada, our economy depends heavily on the movement of goods in North America and the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) [USMCA] free trade agreement.…
Allowing Chinese government-subsidized products free access to our market could easily wipe out our ability to have healthy steel, aluminum and EV sectors of our own….
Both the U.S. and Mexico have decided to put tariffs on these products to defend their workers against efforts by China to dump subsidized products into North America….
Canada must align our tariff policies on Chinese steel, aluminum and EVs with those of our trading partners, Mexico and the U.S. Not doing so will expose our economy to serious risks….
One is the risk that Chinese government-subsidized products could wipe out Canadian production and, with it, the well-paying jobs that many Canadians depend on….
The second is that our trading partners, the U.S. and Mexico, would be exposed to Chinese metals coming through Canada and eroding our North American steel, aluminum and automotive markets.

SE ASIA – ASEAN:

US itself pushing Asean closer to China

Express Tribune (Pakistan), Aug 25, 2024 – This affinity is also reflected in the people, academics and researchers of the ASEAN countries who consider China as an invaluable ally, thanks to their strong trade ties with Beijing, growing people-to-people exchanges and benefits brought about by the projects of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) such as the China-Laos Railway, Jakarta-Bandung High-Speed Railway and Malaysia’s East Coast Rail that promote regional integration and serve as a catalyst of growth for regional economies and domestic tourism and industry….
What’s more, the ASEAN Economic Community Blueprint 2025 envisages building a highly cohesive, integrated and resilient economy. In the coming years, these security architectures as well as the West’s ambivalent attitude toward ASEAN, return of Donald Trump to the White House and labeling of China as “greatest strategic challenge” will likely widen the gap between ASEAN and the US, accelerating the trend of a robust ASEAN-China relationship.

PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM:

Pacific Islands leaders to meet as region faces ‘polycrisis’ of threats

REGIONAL ORDER OUT OF CHAOS

‘IF THE REGION IS TO SURVIVE, IT REALLY NEEDS SOMETHING TO DRIVE THEIR COLLECTIVE AGENDA AND IDENTITY’
Al Jazeera, Aug 23, 2024 – ….Five years on, as the UN chief returns to the region for the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders Meeting, the annual gathering of the region’s main political and economic grouping, there’s a growing sense of urgency as existential threats intensify on several fronts.
In June, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka described the Pacific region as facing a “polycrisis”, saying climate change, human security, transnational drug trafficking, and geopolitical competition were reinforcing and exacerbating one another….
Sandra Tarte, an academic at the University of the South Pacific in Fiji who specialises in regional politics, said there were “a lot of ambitious things on the agenda” at the meeting.
“If the region is to survive, it really needs something to drive their collective agenda and identity,” she added.

EUROPEAN UNION: DICTATING BEYOND ITS BORDERS:

Europe’s plot to regulate political speech in America

The Hill, Aug 17, 2024 – Eighty years ago, the U.S. government launched a war bond campaign featuring a painting by artist Norman Rockwell in the struggle against the authoritarian threat from Europe. The picture they chose was Rockwell’s Freedom of Speech depicting a man rising to speak his mind at a local council meeting in Vermont. The image rallied the nation around what Louis Brandeis called our “indispensable right.”
Now, that very right is again under attack from another European government, which is claiming the right to censor what Americans are allowed to say about politics, science and other subjects….
Today, the vast majority of political speech occurs over the Internet and specifically social media. That is why the internet is the single greatest advancement for free speech since the printing press.
It is also the reason governments have spent decades seeking to control speech over the internet, to regulate what people can say or read.
One of the greatest threats to free speech today is the European Digital Services Act. The act bars speech that is viewed as “disinformation” or “incitement.”

EU BACKTRACKS AFTER COMMISSIONER THREATENED MUSK OVER TRUMP INTERVIEW

EU COMMISSION TRIED TO SAVE FACE BY SAYING THIERRY BRETON’S LETTER TO MUSK WAS UNAUTHORIZED
European Conservative, Aug 14, 2024 – It took less than a day for the European Commission to completely backtrack on its attempt to intimidate X owner Elon Musk into censoring his interview with President Trump. Officials distanced themselves from the commissioner who sent the threatening letter and claimed that he acted alone, with no prior authorization from Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
As we reported, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton—the EU’s self-styled “digital enforcer” responsible for creating and overseeing the bloc’s infamous social media censorship tool, the Digital Services Act (DSA)—wrote a letter to Musk ahead of the billionaire’s two-hour-long live interview with the Republican presidential candidate, “reminding” him that failing to moderate any content on X that “may incite violence, hate, or racism … including in the context of elections” will face legal repercussions and the “full use of [the EU’s] toolbox.”

Malaysia’s BRICS bid to build on its allegiance to ASEAN

East Asia Forum, Aug 18, 2024 – Some may argue that Malaysia joining BRICS might challenge ASEAN centrality due to the influence of Russia and China, but ASEAN centrality itself can help balance this dynamic by serving as a stabilising force. By ensuring a unified ASEAN approach, Malaysia can use its BRICS participation to strengthen regional cohesion, prioritise ASEAN’s collective interests and maintain its role as a neutral and cohesive bloc….It is unrealistic to downplay the importance of the G7. But the trade structure between ASEAN, the BRICS and the G7 opens up new areas of opportunity. The G7 countries are major trading partners for ASEAN, as major markets for electronics, machinery, textiles and agricultural products. This robust trade relationship is strengthened by substantial investment flows from G7 countries into ASEAN.Trade between ASEAN and BRICS, on the other hand, is driven by demand for raw materials, energy and consumer goods, with China and India being the main markets for ASEAN exports. On top of that, BRICS countries are increasingly investing in infrastructure projects in ASEAN, further consolidating economic ties.

Lula Proposes South America Act As A Bloc

Eurasia Review, Aug 16, 2024 – President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on Wednesday (Aug. 14) advocated for greater integration among South American countries to advance regional development and seek robust trading partners beyond the continent, including China….
Building a relationship based on trust and mutual interest is what drives us to promote South America as a bloc,” the president added, recalling his long-standing support for strengthening relations within regional blocs such as the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac).

EUROPEAN UNION – GERMANY:

Revealed: Thousands of Afghan ‘Refugees’ Taking Vacations back in Afghanistan

Despite Taliban control from which they sought ‘asylum’

European Conservative, Aug 16, 2024 – What makes the revelations particularly shocking is that Germany has classified Afghanistan as an unsafe country of origin, and has refused to repatriate migrants to Afghanistan since the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban regime took back power three years ago.
The paradox is that ordinary Afghan citizens, who are seeking “refuge” in Germany, don’t seem persecuted by the Taliban at all—and are happy to return home on holiday.

THE NEW REGIONAL MERCANTILISM: EU vs. EAU:

Armenia Praised For Implementing Key Reforms Under EU Agreement, as Russia Fumes

Armenian Mirror-Spectator, Aug 15, 2024 – A Brussels official has praised Armenia’s progress in implementing reforms in key areas under its existing agreement with the European Union….
Armenia has effectively suspended its membership in the Collective Security Treaty Organization and is threatening to withdraw from the Moscow-led security grouping of six former Soviet nations altogether due to its failure to respond to repeated border incursions from Azerbaijan in 2021 and 2022. At the same time, Yerevan has strengthened its military ties with Western nations, including France and the United States. Armenia, a member of the Russian-led Eurasian Economic Union, has also been more vocal recently about its potential bid to join the European Union.

THE ‘NORTH AMERICAN SUPPLY CHAIN’:

Reshoring In North America: Strategy For Manufacturing Excellence | Opinion

‘Key is to think of North America as a single, integrated manufacturing zone’

Raghunandan Gurumurthy Forbes Councils Member
Forbes Business Council COUNCIL POST
Forbes, Aug 7, 2024 – In an era of unprecedented global supply chain disruptions, North America must bolster its industrial self-reliance through strategic reshoring efforts. As an industrial engineering expert with years of experience in global manufacturing, I’ve witnessed firsthand the vulnerabilities exposed by over-reliance on distant supply chains. It’s clear that the United States, Canada and Mexico must work together to create a robust, resilient manufacturing ecosystem that serves our collective interests…..
A Coordinated North American Approach
Now, let’s talk about how to make this tri-country strategy work in practice. Here’s my blueprint for success:
1. Intelligent Process Allocation Assess each country’s manufacturing strengths, labor skills and costs. Assign production stages strategically, matching labor-intensive processes to lower-cost regions and high-precision tasks to areas with specialized skills. Review and adjust regularly based on performance metrics.
2. Integrated Digital Supply Chain Implement a unified, cloud-based supply chain management system accessible across all three countries. Provide real-time visibility of inventory, production schedules and shipment statuses. Include alert mechanisms for potential disruptions, enabling quick adjustments.
3. Cross-Border Skill Development Create exchange programs for workers and managers to gain hands-on experience in facilities across North America. Develop standardized training modules that address specific skills gaps in each country’s manufacturing sector.
4. Harmonized Regulatory Framework Establish a joint committee to identify and address regulatory inconsistencies. Focus on aligning standards for emerging technologies and creating a streamlined approval process for new products and processes.
5. Sustainable Infrastructure Investment Coordinate infrastructure development to support this new manufacturing paradigm. This means not just roads and bridges but also 5G networks, renewable energy grids and advanced recycling facilities. The key is to think of North America as a single, integrated manufacturing zone.
Does anyone not see the mega-government, open-border central planning in this agenda? If allowed to be implemented, this fascist “public-private partnership” mindset means the end of an independent, free-enterprise United States as we know it, just as what has developed among the once-independent nations of the European Union.
FROM THE ARCHIVES: Region-Building: Common Objectives Part 1 of 6 – The above list of regionalist priorities is reflected in this compilation of news article excerpts from over a decade ago. The 6-part series depicts these and other key strategies, envisioned by all of the world’s regional blocs to usurp sovereignty away from their respective member nations.

SE ASIA – ASEAN:

ASEAN On Positive Trajectory To Become World’s Fourth Largest Economy By 2030 — ASEAN Official

BERNAMA (Malaysia), Aug 8, 2024 – ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) Deputy Secretary-General Satvinder Singh said this includes its gross domestic product (GDP) which soared 51 percent to US$3.8 trillion last year versus US$2.5 trillion (US$1=RM4.47) in 2015….
What’s important is we are one of the very few regions where our trade is almost as large as our GDP (and) the biggest component of trade is not our trade with China or the United States, but our intra-Asian trade, which is somewhere close to US$800 trillion.
“What we are trying to say is, as much as we have grown as the largest trade component, we have also grown a lot in terms of our trade with the rest of the world,” he said.
This is the uniqueness of economies within the ASEAN bloc, unlike the European Union or the North American Free Trade Area where “they like to trade with each other.”

‘MADE IN NORTH AMERICA’:

Donald Trump’s invitation to Chinese carmakers might boost US transition to EVs

Yahoo!, Aug 2, 2024 – At a March rally in Ohio, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump broke with party rhetoric on Chinese investment and welcomed carmakers from the country to build factories in the US.
“If they want to build a plant in Michigan, in Ohio, in South Carolina, they can – using American workers, they can,” the former president said in Dayton. It’s an invitation he has since repeated, including at the Republican National Convention last month….
For Trump, the overture to Chinese companies is an alternative to cheap Chinese autos flooding US markets, a concern that both he and other Republicans like Senator Marco Rubio of Florida have repeatedly raised amid reports of Chinese electric vehicle and battery manufacturers considering building plants in Mexico.
Under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, as long as 75 per cent of auto content – including key parts – is made in North America, the products can qualify for tariff-free import into the US. Should the Chinese manufacturers choose to build in Mexico and ship the final products across the border, Trump said, he would slap them with heavier tariffs.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION – TO INCLUDE IRAN?

Iran President Pezeshkian: Regional Union Leads to Strengthening of Cooperation

Kazakhstan ready to expand ‘cooperation with Iran in regional agreements such as … The Eurasian Economic Union’

Iran Press, July 30, 2024 – Iran’s new President Masoud Pezeshkian, in a meeting with Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairman of the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan….stated that Iran, Kazakhstan, and other countries of the region have lived in a common cultural and civilization area and the cultural pride and personalities of the region belong to all of us….
Pezeshkian added: “Also, the effort to create a regional union can diminish the borders between the countries of this civilizational and cultural sphere.”
[Ashimbayev]  emphasized his readiness to help strengthen relations with Iran and stated: “We consider Iran a strategic partner of Kazakhstan and are ready to expand bilateral as well as regional and international cooperation with Iran in regional agreements such as Shanghai, SICA and the Eurasian Economic Union.”

MIDDLE EAST REGION:

Israel’s Netanyahu calls for ‘NATO-style alliance’ in Middle East to counter Iran

Middle East Monitor, July 26, 2024 – Speaking at the United States’ Congress on Wednesday…. Netanyahu envisioned it as “an extension of the groundbreaking Abraham Accords,” referring to the normalisation of diplomatic relations with Israel by various Arab states over the past few years, including the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. He suggested that such a pact be named the “Abraham Alliance”.
During his address to US Congress, Netanyahu gave the example of Iran’s firing of hundreds of missiles toward Israel, which was rapidly countered by not only Tel Aviv and American forces, but also with the help of regional states such as Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia. The region already “saw a glimpse of that alliance” on that night, the Israeli premier said.
See also: Open Borders in the Middle East?

NORTH AMERICA:

AMLO Says Trump’s Threat to Ban Mexican Cars Is Just a Bluff

AMLO: USMCA helps prevent North America from falling behind China

BNN Bloomberg, July 24, 2024 – President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador….known as AMLO, said he’s not too concerned about comments made by Trump in the heat of an election campaign, since when he was in office he had supported the North American free trade agreement, known as USMCA….
Trump’s proposal to shut the US-Mexico border would cause chaos, affecting the transit of 300,000 vehicles and a million people each day, and limit trade in products crucial to the US economy, Lopez Obrador said….
Lopez Obrador also said that the USMCA helps prevent North America from falling behind China.

ARE US MILITARY STRIKES AGAINST MEXICAN CARTELS ON THE TABLE? TRUMP SAYS ‘ABSOLUTELY’

‘THE CARTELS ARE RUNNING MEXICO’
Mexico News Daily, July 25, 2024 – “They’re killing 300,000 people a year with fentanyl coming in,” he said, offering a figure that is almost triple the number of estimated drug overdose deaths in the United States in 2023.
Trump said that “Mexico is going to be given a very short period of time to police their border” and if they don’t do the job effectively, his government will take action….
Trump asserted that “Mexico is petrified of the cartels because they’ll take out a president in two minutes.”
“They’re petrified of the cartels. The cartels are running Mexico,” he said.

EU: UK BREENTRY?

‘It’s clear this government’s goal is to have us rejoin the European Union’

‘LABOUR IS BEGINNING THE PROCESS OF REJOINING THE EUROPEAN UNION’

Express (London, UK), July 20, 2024 – This is the mood music around the proposal buried in the King’s Speech to have a fast-track mechanism for implementing new EU regulations.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION:

Eurasian Economic Commission to review Iran’s observer status in September meeting

MENAFN, July 21, 2024 – The minister responsible for trade at the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) has announced that the commission will review Iran’s application for observer status during its upcoming meeting in Yerevan, Armenia, scheduled for late September….
Iran has been actively pursuing observer status in the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) following the signing of a free trade agreement with the union.

SAARC – Pakistan at UN:

Pakistan pushes for preventing any state from dominating regional peace organisations

‘REGIONAL INTEGRATION REPRESENTS THE NEXT PHASE OF INSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS’

AKRAM CALLS OUT INDIA: ‘QUEST FOR REGIONAL HEGEMONY BY ONE LARGE STATE HAS UNDERMINED’ SAARC’S POTENTIAL
DAWN (Pakistan), July 21, 2024 – UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan stands for boosting cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organisations in maintaining world peace and security, a top Pakistani diplomat has said, while also stressing that no state should be allowed to dominate regional organisations.
“We must strive for a collective vision that benefits all,” Ambassador Munir Akram told the UN Security Council which held a debate on Friday under the chairmanship of Russia, the 15-nation body’s president for July. In this regard, the Pakistani envoy underscored that the particular national interests of member states do not hinder regional integration….
Pakistan, he said, believes that other regional organisations such as the African Union (AU), the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), along with cross-regional groups, like the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), should also work towards expanding global integration through appropriate association agreements….

What Is the SCO Doing Wrong? Lessons From ASEAN and SAARC

The Diplomat, July 20, 2024 – As the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in July came to an end, questions about the futility of the organization remained. Initiated by China as the Shanghai Five in 1996, the organization for a long time included most Central Asian states plus Russia and China, before expanding to include India, Pakistan, and Iran…. Central Asian leaders have never really felt equal in the room with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. In this sense, the dynamics of the SCO are more similar to that of SAARC, given India’s dominance, as opposed to the smooth-talking, consensus-seeking ASEAN way.

ASEAN, GCC:

ASEAN eyes forming trade pact with Gulf Cooperation Council

The Investor (Vietnam), July 20, 2024 – The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently dropped another hint that they might try to strike a trade pact with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as the former tries to boost its trade with partners outside the region.
A free trade agreement (FTA) between the two blocs is likely, ASEAN’s Secretary-General Kao Kim Hourn told the press on Friday.

GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL:

GCC Deplores Israeli Knesset Decision Rejecting the Establishment of Palestinian State

FANA News, July 18, 2024 – The Gulf Cooperation Council on Thursday condemned the Israeli Knesset’s decision on a draft law rejecting the establishment of a Palestinian state. In a statement today, GCC Secretary- General Jasem Mohamed Albudaiwi, expressed his strong condemnation and refusal to approve the Israeli Knesset’s decision on the draft law….

SOUTH PACIFIC – PIF:

Pacific island leaders agree to enhance Japan’s role in the region amid growing China influence

AP | ABC News, July 17, 2024 0 Leaders of 18 Pacific island nations and areas agreed to an enhanced role of Japan in the region’s development while opposing any attempted coercive activity, in a joint declaration adopted at their summit Thursday, as Tokyo seeks greater engagement to counter China’s influence.
The Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, or PALM, launched under a Japanese initiative in 1997, has become Japan’s key diplomatic tool to deter China’s security and economic influence in the region by strengthening its ties with the Pacific Island Forum members.
JAPAN, PACIFIC ISLANDS TO BOOST SECURITY TIES
Nikkei, July 18, 2024 – Japan and Pacific island nations agreed on Thursday to increase security, trade and climate cooperation following a three-day summit in which Tokyo sought to deepen ties with its island neighbors as China makes further diplomatic headway in the vast region.
The 10th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, or PALM10, was attended by the 18 members of the Pacific Island Forum (PIF) and Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
“It is increasingly important that we work together to maintain and strengthen an international order that is free, open, and based on the rule of law,” Kishida said at a news conference after the summit.
The leaders will “strengthen defense exchanges” through port calls with vessels and aircraft from the Japan Self Defense Force….

‘MADE IN EUROPE’: EU and the ‘NEW MERCANTILISM’:

EU urged to require more ‘made in Europe’ standards for hydrogen sector

Offshore Energy, July 3, 2024 – 20 major electrolyzer manufacturers, including Nel Hydrogen, Siemens Energy and thyssenkrupp nucera, have signed a letter calling on the European Commission President nominee Ursula Von der Leyen to ensure a level playing field and require more “made in Europe” standards for the industry.
The companies claimed that Chinese subsidies for state-owned hydrogen companies create a “skewed” playing field that puts European manufacturers at a significant disadvantage.

S.E. ASIA – ASEAN:

Japan commits to ASEAN power grid project to counter China

Nikkei Asia, July 2, 2024 – The Japanese government will offer financial assistance to domestic companies, including Kansai Electric Power (KEPCO), for an inter-island power transmission project in Indonesia. The move is part of Tokyo’s efforts to become a player in Southeast Asia’s grid development as China flexes its economic muscle in the region.
HOW SINGAPORE’S CLEAN ENERGY DRIVE CAN SUPPORT COMMITMENT TO A GREENER ASEAN POWER GRID
South China Morning Post, June 30, 2024

ASEAN’s ‘Schengen Visa’: Closer to Reality?

Fragomen, June 26, 2024 – In recent months, much has been made of Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin’s proposal for a six-nation regional visa, which has perhaps drawn premature comparisons to the much more established Schengen Area visa in Europe.
The proposal would see a joint visa program between the nations that make up Mainland Southeast Asia, namely Thailand and Malaysia ( with these two countries alone drawing in more than 50% of the visitors to the region in 2023), Vietnam, Cambodia, Lao PDR and Myanmar.
While the initiative is certainly an ambitious one, the implementation of such a supranational visa within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is likely to encounter several hurdles.
Under Srettha’s proposal, like the Schengen Visa, tourists would be able to travel from one country to another (within the six-member bloc) using the same visa or visa status.
AS BRICS LURES MALAYSIA AND THAILAND WHILE WORLD ORDER ‘CRUMBLES ALL AROUND’, IS ASEAN OK?
South China Morning Post, June 29, 2024 – Joining the China and Russia-led bloc could cause Asean to fracture, some say. Others argue it’s harmless hedging.

NORTH AMERICAN ‘INTEGRATION’:

Mexican President Calls for EU-style North American Union

‘JUST AS…THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY WAS CREATED THAT LATER BECAME THE EUROPEAN UNION’
Alex Newman, The New American, May 20, 2024 – The United States, Mexico, and Canada should be united under a European Union-style transnational government, declared far-left Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador last month in barely noticed comments. The controversial remarks come as regional governments modeled on the EU proliferate and absorb once-sovereign nations around the world.
Speaking during an event marking the 110th anniversary of the U.S. military’s occupation of the coastal city of Veracruz, “AMLO,” as the Mexican president is known, called for the creation of a North American “community” with its northern neighbors….
The explosive comments were widely reported in the Mexican press. But so far, there has been absolutely no coverage in the U.S. media, which historically has sought to ignore, downplay and even ridicule conservative concerns about the ongoing regionalization of governance in North America.

‘A BURDENSOME STONE….HEARTH OF FIRE AMONG THE WOOD’

Zechariah chpts. 12-14 KJV

European Union says Israel’s actions in Rafah threaten future relations

MILITARY OPERATIONS WOULD PUT RELATIONS UNDER ‘HEAVY STRAIN’

Washington Times, May 15, 2024 – EU officials said they recognize that Israel has a right to defend itself after Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a rampage that resulted in the death of more than 1,200 people and hundreds taken hostage. But any military response must be done in line with international humanitarian law, the EU said….
Israeli officials said four of Hamas’ remaining six battalions are located inside Rafah, along with much of the Palestinian terror group’s leadership and possibly many hostages. But they have faced growing pressure from the Biden administration to abandon a full-scale operation into the city.
HOW THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION BECAME A GEOPOLITICAL PLAYER
Internationale Politik Quarterly, May 15, 2024 – This recent episode also shows how much the balance has shifted in Brussels. Von der Leyen has made bold use of her political opportunities and has indeed turned the European Commission into a geopolitical player, as she announced in 2019. The states either followed her lead—in the pandemic, with Russia sanctions, and EU enlargement, or they failed to find a common position, as in the Middle East conflict, effectively leaving the field to her commission. 

‘NEARSHORING’ TO NORTH AMERICA:

Manufacturers looking for low costs, easy access to U.S. market, turn to Mexico, not China

Green Bay Press Gazette | Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, May 15, 2024 – The world’s largest electronics manufacturer has 30,000 employees spread over seven campuses in Mexico, with major production centers in Juarez, Tijuana, Guadalajara and Chihuahua City, making desktop computers, servers, components for electric vehicles and other products.
In this part of the country, where mountains converge with desert, the company has come to epitomize “nearshoring,” a global trade strategy focused on manufacturing near, but not within, a given country — in this case, the United States….
Much of the overall growth in Mexico has come from foreign-owned companies utilizing the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which grants duty-free trade for many products across North America.
“If U.S. manufacturing is to be less dependent on China, we think the path will be via Mexico,” Morgan Stanley analyst Nikolaj Lippmann said in a research note.

SOUTH ASIA, SAARC:

India reaffirms commitment to SAARC process

The Statesman, May 15, 2024 – India on Wednesday underlined its commitment to SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation), which has been lying dormant for eight years now, describing it as an important regional grouping for cooperation in South Asia.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION:

EAEU serves as independent power center in multipolar world, says Putin

Bernama-Xinhua, May 9, 2024 – The Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) has become one of the independent and self-sufficient centres of the emerging multipolar world, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday….
The EAEU, which was officially established in January 2015, is a regional bloc consisting of Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, and Armenia.
ACADEMIC DEGREES ARE NOW MUTUALLY RECOGNIZED IN EAEU COUNTRIES – EAEUnion.org, May 3, 2024

REGIONAL INTEGRATION, INFRASTRUCTURE:

EU and ASEAN unite for Seamless Railway Operations in the region

WATE6 | EIN Presswire, May 8, 2024 – The event aimed at discussing the study on Seamless Railway Operations in ASEAN prepared under the Enhanced Regional EU-ASEAN Dialogue Instrument (E-READI), a demand-driven programme that supports ASEAN regional integration by strengthening the EU-ASEAN networks and exchanging knowledge and experience in policy areas of joint interests….
At the event, the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport (DG MOVE) gave insights into challenges and solutions with regard to the EU policy on interoperability on the European railway network.

ARAB GULF, GCC:

Tourists could explore the whole GCC region on one visa by end 2024

The New Arab, May 7, 2024 – Currently, tourists need a separate visa for each Gulf nation they visit but the new scheme will allow for free travel between all GCC countries, in a boost for regional tourism….
The system will be called GCC Grand Tours and will allow expatriates living in the region to visit the six GCC countries – Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Kuwait, and Oman – all with the same multi-entry visa. Citizens of the six countries are already able to travel visa-free in the region.

ASEAN and REGIONAL MERCANTILISM:

Growing Scramble To Court ASEAN In Strengthening Regional Presence – Analysis

AS BUFFER TO POTENTIAL ECONOMIC, SECURITY THREATS FROM CHINA
Eurasia Review, April 19, 2024 – ASEAN has been the key focus in recent weeks, with efforts by external powers to engage with the regional organization and reinforcing regional relevance and presence….With top firms’ exodus from China and the lure of the region as the hub for critical sectors especially semiconductor, EV, green energy and economy, supply chain hub, and others, [New Zealand] will not want to be left out in terms of reaping the spillover economic and development impact….
NZ will also want to boost ties as it will need the region to stay stable and as a buffer to potential threats from China.

EUROPEAN UNION:

Catholic bishops in Europe support an expansion of the European Union

LaCroix International, April 30, 2024 – On May 1, 2004, ten Central and Eastern European countries joined the European Union, expanding the bloc from 15 to 25 members. Twenty years after this “big bang,” which was then seen as a historic reunification of the Old Continent, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has urgently raised the question of EU expansion again. On April 22, in a statement on the sidelines of their spring assembly in Łomża (Poland), the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) strongly reaffirmed their support for enlarging the EU….
COMECE, which consists of the Catholic Bishops’ Conferences from each Member State of the European Union, was founded in 1980 with the endorsement of the Holy See. It serves to represent the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU before European institutions, engages in dialogue with these institutions by offering insights that advocate for the common good and a human-centered perspective in EU policymaking.
‘MADE IN EUROPE’ and THE NEW REGIONAL MERCANTILISM:
‘MACRON PITCHES ‘MADE IN EUROPE’ TO GUARANTEE PROSPERITY IN ‘SORBONNE II’ SPEECH
Reiterates support for rapidly developing bloc’s defence industry
Euractiv, April 26, 2024 – “Europe could die,” French President Emmanuel Macron warned in his speech on the future of the EU at Sorbonne University on Thursday (25 April), stressing the importance of an industry ‘Made in Europe’, particularly in sectors like energy and digital.
EU PARLIAMENT ADOPTS LEGISLATION MANDATING 40% EU-MADE HYDROGEN TECH – Hydrogen Insight, April 26, 2024

ARAB GCC & ISRAEL:

Blinken Meets With Arab Officials to Discuss Gaza and Postwar Plans

Discuss pathway to Palestinian state, ‘greater regional integration’

New York Times, April 29, 2024 – Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with Arab officials on Monday in Saudi Arabia about the war between Israel and Hamas…. Mr. Blinken met with Prince Faisal bin Farhan, the foreign minister of Saudi Arabia, and then with foreign ministers and a top foreign policy adviser from five other Arab nations in the Persian Gulf that, along with Saudi Arabia, form the Gulf Cooperation Council…. The two diplomats also talked about greater regional integration and “a pathway to a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel,” the summary said.
BLINKEN SAYS US ALMOST READY WITH SAUDI REWARDS FOR ISRAEL NORMALISATION
Pathway to Palestinian state ‘only way it’s going to work’
France24, April 29, 2024 – Blinken said the United States would hold talks in the coming weeks with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council on integrating air and missile defence and boosting maritime security.

SOUTH AMERICA:

Brazil’s government to launch commission to unlock South American integration projects

Reuters, April 29, 2024 – Brazil’s government will soon create an interministerial commission chaired by the Planning Ministry to unlock projects for integration in South America, a top official said on Monday.

SOUTH ASIA, BIMSTEC:

BIMSTEC Secretary-General discusses regional cooperation in the Bay of Bengal region at LKI

The Island, April 24, 2024 – Ambassador Indra Mani Pandey, Secretary-General of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) was hosted by the Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute (LKI) for a special guest lecture and interactive session titled “Regional Cooperation through BIMSTEC” on 09 April 2024….
Delivering opening remarks, Additional Secretary (Economic Affairs) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Shanika Dissanayake noted that the seven-member states – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand accounted for 1.7 billion people and a combined GDP of 5.2 billion dollars. Describing the organization as a vibrant and progressive intergovernmental organization, Ms. Dissanayake noted BIMSTEC’s relevance in creating a more interconnected region, especially in the fields of transport, security, and energy.

Modi Could Squander an Unprecedented Chance at Normalising India-Pakistan Ties

The Wire (India), April 19, 2024 – Mired in economic and internal crises, Pakistan is primed for normalisation and trade with India – but Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist government, beholden to anti-Muslim politics, is failing to seize the chance.
BD, INDIA, PAKISTAN SHOULD REUNITE: MARK TULLY
Daily Sun (Bangladesh), April 19, 2024 – Taking a cue from France and Germany, which united to from European Union, India, Pakistan and Bangladesh should also unite to from a South-east Asian union of countries, says Veteran journalist Mark Tully.
Talking to India Today following the inauguration of a two-day meeting of Saarc country delegates in Agra, Tully said the world is moving towards the end of wars and it is a time for the setting in of new world dynamics where such rivalries like India-Pakistan would be an exception worthy of a quick end.

SOUTH AMERICA – UNASUR:

Lula proposed to the president of Colombia to reorganize Unasur

‘OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TO UNIFY SOUTH AMERICA’

‘PERHAPS COLUMBIA CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE BRICS’
Radio Cadena Agramonte, April 18, 2024 – Among other issues, the idea of giving a new direction to the Union of South American Nations (Unasur), – made up of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay and Venezuela – was a one of the most defended by the Brazilian leader during this day.
Today we have an extraordinary opportunity to work to unify South America, so that perhaps Colombia can participate in the BRICS, Lula said, referring to the group made up of his country, Russia, India, China and South Africa and to which Egypt recently joined. Iran, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Ethiopia.

ARAB GULF and ISRAEL:

The Gulf’s New Regional Vision Makes Room for Israel

Despite ongoing war, Gulf Cooperation Council still sees Israel as legitimate regional player, rejects Hamas call for radical violence.
The National Interest, April 14, 2024The six members of the GCC—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates—convened in Doha, Qatar, this week and approved and published a “Vision for Regional Security”….
Curiously, the GCC vision does not directly refer to October 7 or explicitly mention the following war. But for Israel, the text is reassuring. The GCC countries express a clear commitment to stability, security, and prosperity and, between the lines, accept that Israel has a legitimate place in the regional order. That was the spirit of the dialogue that this article’s Israeli author had with his Arab counterparts when he served as National Security Advisor during the previous Israeli government. That was the message that Israel’s regional peace partners agreed to at the Negev Forum Summit, which convened in Israel just two years ago, in March 2022.

EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION and CHINA:

Russia Warming To China’s Belt & Road Initiative Projects

Russia’s Pivot to Asia, April 12, 2024 – Russian deputy prime minister Alexey Overchuk said the Kremlin and Beijing had discussed the possibility of “improving connectivity” between the initiative and the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), the free trade area that includes Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Krygyzstan and Russia and fills the geographic space between Western China and Eastern Europe….
Russia set up the EAEU with the former Soviet states of Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan in 2015 to foster economic integration and to advance its own geopolitical interests in Central Asia. It aimed to mirror the common market and customs union of the European Union, and was built on the foundations of previous blocs going back to the 1990s….
Moscow has shown increasing willingness to connect its own regional integration project with the Chinese initiative, which all EAEU members have joined….

‘MADE IN NORTH AMERICA’:

The US has moved on from China:
Mexico becomes its new factory

‘NEARSHORING’: GEOGRAPHIC PROXIMITY, CHEAP LABOR, NO REGIONAL DUTIES
La Grada, April 9, 2024 – This new trade corridor was ironically set up by former US president Donald Trump’s sanctions against the Asian giant as well as the signing of the new United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement or USMCA (Canada–United States–Mexico Agreement or CUSMA for the Canadians and Tratado entre México, Estados Unidos y Canadá or T-MEC for Mexico) that replaces NAFTA.
With an unbeatable geographic proximity, cheap labor and no regional duties, the US’ southern neighbor has come out of this new “nearshoring” competition victorious over China….
Since the agreement states that a high percentage of the final product has been manufactured in the region, Chinese companies are importing components and finalizing assembly in a factory in America.
MEXICO OVERTAKES CHINA AS THE LEADING SOURCE OF GOODS IMPORTED BY US
msn | Canadian Press, April 9, 2024 – For the first time in more than two decades, Mexico last year surpassed China as the leading source of goods imported by the United States….
Some Chinese manufacturers have established factories in Mexico to exploit the benefits of the 3-year-old U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, which allows for duty-free trade in North America for many products.

SOUTH ASIA:

Nepal cannot accept Saarc’s replacement with Bimstec

Kathmandu Post, April 3, 2024 – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Narayan Kaji Shrestha has said Nepal will not accept the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) to replace the other regional organisation, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
“We do not see Bimstec as a replacement of Saarc,” said Shrestha. “In order to reinvigorate the stalled Saarc process, Nepal, as its current chair, will surely take an initiative.”
Raghuji Pant of the CPN-UML accused India of deactivating Saarc. As per its wish to exclude Pakistan, Bimstec was established, he said….
“India wants to minus Pakistan in the region so it formed Bimstec. Saarc is kept passive due to Pakistan’s presence in it,” said Pant.

SE ASIA:

ASEAN survey shows a trend toward China – and concerns about Beijing’s influence

Table Media, April 2, 2024 – According to a recent survey, more than half of people in Southeast Asia would prefer China as an ally to the US if they had to choose between the two superpowers. In the “State of Southeast Asia 2024” survey published on Tuesday by the ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, more people favored the People’s Republic (50.5 percent of the almost 2,000 respondents) than the USA (49.5 percent) for the first time. In 2023, 61.1 percent still preferred the USA, and 38.9 percent preferred China.

REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE – EURASIAN UNION:

Russia’s push for North-South ITC sparks Eurasian economic revival

Caliber (Azerbaijan), April 1, 2024 – In recent directives from Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Andrei Belousov, a significant emphasis has been placed on bolstering the transport infrastructure along the North-South International Transport Corridor (ITC)…
As Russia endeavors to bolster its economic ties within the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) space, the North-South ITC emerges as a critical component for facilitating trade and connectivity across multiple countries. The corridor is designed to provide a strategic route connecting South Asia to Europe via Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Russia.

EUROPEAN UNION:

The EU Is Marching Toward An Independent And Integrated Military – OpEd

Eurasian Review, March 30, 2024 – At the European Defense Agency’s annual conference in November 2023, President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen warned member states from buying too much equipment from abroad and called for a European Defense Union. While the defense union is yet to materialize, the first-ever European Defense Industrial Strategy signed in early March 2024 marked another significant step toward achieving European Union (EU) military autonomy by focusing on improving European weapons manufacturing.
‘MADE IN EU’: HOW EUROPE CAN USE TARIFFS AS AN INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Europe would need to increase tariffs to at least 20% by 2027 to close the average cost gap with China (likely more, something the investigation should look into). Unlike solar, Europe should act preemptively before it is too late. This should be accompanied by stronger “Made in EU” requirements in public tenders, subsidies and EU grants and loans given to EV and battery makers.
ROMANIA AND BULGARIA PARTIALLY JOIN EUROPE’S SCHENGEN TRAVEL ZONE, BUT CHECKS AND LAND BORDERS REMAIN
WTWO News | Associated Press, March 31, 2024 – Romania and Bulgaria partially joined Europe’s ID-check-free travel zone on Sunday, marking a new step in the two countries’ integration with the European Union.
After years of negotiations to join the Schengen area, there is now free access for travelers arriving by air or sea from both countries. However, land border checks will remain in place due to opposition primarily from Austria which has long blocked their bid over illegal migration concerns.

REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE – ARAB GULF, GCC:

Gulf Railway project to connect six Middle Eastern nations by 2030

Urban Transport News, March 29, 2024 – With an estimated cost of 197 billion Euros, this monumental initiative is poised to become the second-largest construction project globally, following NEOM….
As the Gulf Railway Project gains momentum, it promises to revolutionize connectivity across the Middle East, fostering economic prosperity and facilitating seamless movement of goods and people within the region.
GCC VISION FOR REGIONAL SECURITY UNVEILED FOR THE FIRST TIME
Arab News, March 28, 2024 – On Thursday, the Gulf Cooperation Council unveiled its vision for regional security for the first time in its 43-year history….
The starting point of the vision is the centrality of the GCC to any regional security framework and of collective defense — that the security of GCC states is indivisible….
In addition, GCC states play a pivotal role, when requested, in supporting the security of neighboring countries, and their political and economic stability.

VIDEO: GLOBAL SHAKEDOWN (2015)
The world’s developing and projected regional blocs. (Excerpt @ 20:15 of 27:33)