News Updates

‘FORTRESS NORTH AMERICA’:

Variable Geometry 101: Canada’s New Cards at the CUSMA Table

USTR LANGUAGE AMOUNTS TO ‘COMMON EXTERNAL TARIFF AGAINST CHINA’

Policy Magazine (Canada), Feb 15, 2026 – [United States Trade Representative Jamieson Greer] is pushing for “enhanced economic security alignment on tariffs, export controls, and investment screening,” language that amounts to a common external tariff against China. Carney’s diversification strategy, 12 trade deals on four continents, the CPTPP-EU bridge proposal, and the narrow China EV-canola deal, points in the opposite direction…. The CUSMA review will force a choice: accept Fortress North America alignment or defend strategic autonomy and negotiate different terms…. June 1 is the deadline for governments to submit recommended changes to CUSMA/USMCA. July 1 triggers the formal review. If the U.S. Supreme Court strikes down IEEPA tariffs, Trump loses his primary leverage tool and the review dynamic shifts.

SE ASIA:

Asean’s role in a new world order

ADVANCE VISION OF ASEAN ECONOMIC COMMUNITY: SINGLE MARKET, CUSTOMS UNION

Bangkok Post, Feb 16, 2026 – Profound shifts are reshaping the global economy as political uncertainty, geopolitical rivalry and changing trade patterns disrupt the old world order, while a new one has yet to fully emerge….
The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) must play to its strengths.
The current global environment presents Asean with an opportunity to advance the vision of the Asean Economic Community (AEC) — to establish a single market and customs union. Such integration would simplify trade, enhance cross-border commerce and facilitate easier movement of people across the region.

ARAB GULF:

GCC chambers plan Gulf Guarantee project to boost intra-regional trade

STRESS ESTABLISHMENT OF UNIFIED GULF COMMITTEE FOR AI

“GULF ECONOMIC INTEGRATION IN LINE WITH THE OBJECTIVES OF THE GULF COMMON MARKET”
Arab News, Feb 16, 2026 – The Federation of GCC Chambers, in cooperation with the Customs Union Authority, intends to launch the Gulf Guarantee Project to provide a unified mechanism for exports and trade transactions and to enhance the efficiency of intra-GCC trade, which reached about $146 billion by the end of 2024, Saleh Al-Sharqi, Secretary-General of the federation, told Al-Eqtisadiah….
He noted that these initiatives fall within an integrated vision to address obstacles hindering investment and intra-regional trade flows by developing…and supporting Gulf economic integration in line with the objectives of the Gulf Common Market.

DIGITAL EURO:

European Parliament Backs Digital Currency Proposal

All transactions would be subject to monitoring, restrictions, sanctions

The European Conservative, Feb 10, 2026 – European Union lawmakers on Tuesday, February 10th expressed support for the introduction of a digital euro. They approved two amendments to an annual report on the European Central Bank (ECB), signaling backing for the digital currency initiative….
Unlike cash, the digital euro would leave a permanent record of every transaction, purchase, and financial activity…. Every payment could be monitored, controlled, or even subject to restrictions or sanctions.
This system could enable measures previously unimaginable, such as limiting spending in specific categories, restricting donations to specific organizations, or implementing “expiration dates” on funds to encourage consumption.

ARAB GULF:

Why Can’t the GCC Launch Its Own Euro?

The National Interest, Feb 9, 2026 – Since the GCC committed to a common currency in 2003 with a target launch date of 2010, the project has faced repeated setbacks. Oman withdrew in 2006, citing its inability to meet convergence criteria such as public debt limits.
The UAE followed in 2009 after member states decided that Riyadh would host the central bank. Emirati officials had campaigned to host the institution in Abu Dhabi and objected that most major GCC bodies were already headquartered in Saudi Arabia….
While the Gulf pursues other forms of integration, from hosting global events like the FIFA World Cup to launching a unified visa system in 2026, these initiatives succeed precisely because they do not threaten national sovereignty. A common currency, by contrast, requires surrendering control over monetary policy to a shared institution, a step that Gulf states have proven unwilling to take.

NORTH AMERICAN RESOURCE SECURITY:

US-Mexico Critical Minerals Pact Reshapes North American Supply Chains

60-DAY TIMELINE CREATES UNPRECEDENTED URGENCY

Canada’s notable absence suggests deliberate timing rather than exclusion
Discovery Alert, Feb 6, 2026 – The US-Mexico pact for critical minerals represents a structured approach to supply chain resilience through coordinated policy frameworks. The 60-day implementation timeline announced in January 2026 creates unprecedented urgency….
Canada’s notable absence from initial announcements, despite the scheduled USMCA review process, indicates either strategic positioning for separate negotiations or phased integration approaches. Given Canada’s substantial critical minerals production capacity, particularly in rare earth elements, cobalt, and nickel, this absence suggests deliberate timing rather than exclusion from broader North American resource security planning.

Mexico and the US focus on critical minerals in USMCA review

‘TO STRENGTHEN REGIONAL INTEGRATION’

BNamericas, Jan 29, 2026 – Mexico and the United States agreed to begin formal talks on possible changes to the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), making critical minerals a central pillar of the first joint review of the agreement scheduled for this year, in an effort to strengthen regional integration and the security of supply chains.
The understanding was reached during a meeting in Washington between the United States Trade Representative, Jamieson Greer, and Mexico’s economy secretary, Marcelo Ebrard….

China Daily opinion:

Multipolarity is future of global governance

China Daily, Jan 26, 2026 – Notably, regional multilateral organizations are playing significant roles in global governance. For instance, the Gulf Cooperation Council summit issued the Sakhir Declaration to emphasize regional solidarity. The African Continental Free Trade Area paved the way for faster establishment of a customs union and advanced the African Union’s Agenda 2063. The Gyeongju Declaration, endorsed at the 32nd APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting, and the signing of the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0 Upgrade Protocol injected new momentum into Asia-Pacific cooperation. The Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and the Southern Common Market, or Mercosur, are working to strengthen regional industry chains and reduce dependence on the US dollar in settlements. Across the world, regional and sub-regional mechanisms are proactively contributing to global governance.

Carney: Canada Has “No Intention” Of Pursuing Free Trade Deal With China

Responds to Trump’s 100% tariff threat, says China deal consistent with CUSMA [USMCA]

Global News (Canada), Jan 25, 2026 – Prime Minister Mark Carney responded Sunday to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats of 100 per cent tariffs on Canadian imports to the U.S. over Canada’s new trade relationships with China….
Canada is not pursuing free trade agreements with China and has no intention of doing that, Carney said.

THE NEW REGIONAL MERCANTILISM:

Is Greenland the next frontier for AI infrastructure?

NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE AND ‘STRATEGIC RESOURCE COMPETITION’

World Construction Network, Jan 21, 2026 – Given Greenland’s strategically positioned location – between North America and Europe – the territory has long been recognised by US policymakers as critical to national security….
However, Trump’s interest in Greenland may reflect more than geopolitics. It could also align with a drive to secure access to critical minerals needed for next-generation technology infrastructure, including large-scale AI data centres and power grids. Greenland is known to have vast endowments of critical minerals…. As a result, this places Greenland at the centre of strategic resource competition.

China’s Role in the USMCA Review

Baker Institute (Rice University), Jan 20, 2026 – ….After receiving the comments and holding the hearing, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer reported to the relevant congressional committees on the Trump administration’s preparations for the USMCA review….
In a submission reflective of general domestic industry concerns, the Alliance for American Manufacturing (AAM) …. said “Canada and Mexico should accelerate their ongoing efforts to align their trade policies with U.S. measures on tariffs….
Silverado, a think tank, argued for “a diversified North American supply chain that reduces reliance on China,” with several specific suggestions:
1. Adopt unified external tariffs on Chinese critical mineral inputs, equipment, and downstream products….
2. Implement a common transshipment tariff modeled after the July 2025 U.S. measures to address duty circumvention.
3. Establish rules of origin for minerals mined, processed, recovered, or recycled in North America to incentivize regional demand through preferential tariff treatment….
A final area for possible changes as part of the USMCA review is something along the lines of the common external tariff called for by various stakeholders. While perfectly coordinated external tariffs among all three USMCA governments may be unlikely, the recent moves by Canada and Mexico to increase some of their tariffs so that they are better aligned with U.S. tariffs indicates that this idea has some government support.
On this issue,Greer’s report to Congress notes that Mexico’s tariffs on imports from non-FTA partners was an example of Mexico taking “significant concrete steps to address our concerns.”

WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM 2026:

WEF lauds GCC: ‘A model of cooperation in a fragmented world’

FORUM TOUTS GCC MARCH THROUGH ‘BUILDING BLOCK’ LEVELS OF REGIONAL INTEGRATION

After “free trade” customs union, common market, regional infrastructure, Gulf bloc eyes EU-style monetary union, single currency

World Economic Forum, Jan 19, 2026 – At a time when many regions struggle to reconcile national priorities with collective action, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) stands out as an example of regional cooperation….
Since its establishment in 1981, the GCC has pursued deeper economic integration through institutional frameworks…. These frameworks, acting like building blocks of integration, have progressively evolved into practical mechanisms supporting a more unified regional economy.
A major milestone was the implementation of the GCC Customs Union in 2003 – a free trade agreement which standardized customs procedures and introduced a Common External Tariff of 5%…. This was followed by the GCC Common Market, granting citizens national treatment across member states in employment, business, and investment….
Alongside trade and labour integration, the original GCC framework also envisioned a Monetary Union among participating member states. While the institutional architecture for monetary coordination remains in place, progress toward a full single currency has stalled over time….. As a result, the Monetary Union remains an active but narrow-scope initiative, reflecting both the ambition of the GCC’s original integration agenda and the practical constraints of deeper economic unification….

INTER-REGIONAL TRADE:

European Union and Mercosur bloc of South American nations sign landmark free trade agreement

BLOCS’ PACT BRINGS ALTERNATIVE TO TRUMP TARIFFS

The Morning Sun (AP), Jan 17, 2026 – The European Union and the Mercosur bloc of South American countries formally signed a long-sought landmark free trade agreement on Saturday, capping more than a quarter-century of torturous negotiations to strengthen commercial ties in the face of rising protectionism and trade tensions around the world.
The signing ceremony in Paraguay’s humid capital of Asunción marks a major geopolitical victory for the EU in an age of American tariffs and surging Chinese exports….
It also sends a message that South America keeps diverse trade and diplomatic relations even as U.S. President Donald Trump declares dominance in the Western Hemisphere.

‘REGIONAL CONVERGENCE’?

The Middle East’s once-in-a-century moment

‘This is not chaos but convergence: a historic opening to dismantle regional extremism and replace it with integration, stability, and growth’

IRAN, YEMEN, LEBANON, SYRIA, GAZA
Jerusalem Post, Jan 15, 2026 – If Iran’s radical apparatus is decisively dismantled, the ripple effects would be enormous. Terror networks would lose their principal financier. Youth across the region would gain access not just to hope, but to tangible economic horizons. Trade routes, tourism, investment, and regional cooperation – long held hostage by militancy – would finally have room to regrow….Yemen must follow….
Imagine a Middle East where a young Iranian engineer builds software alongside regional partners rather than weapons against them.

ARAB GULF – REGIONAL AI:

Why the GCC might have an edge on implementing Agentic AI

World Economic Forum, Jan 15, 2026 – While the world experimented with AI assistants and chatbots in 2023 and 2024, 2025 marked a clear inflection point in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), comprised of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman. New national AI frameworks, sovereign cloud rollouts and the first wave of enterprise deployments pushed Agentic AI from concept to practice.
AI agents not only respond to prompts but perceive their environment, make decisions and take coordinated action with humans “on the loop,” are now a reality….
The GCC also has substantial infrastructure advantages. Sovereign-by-design cloud zones across the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain keep sensitive data within national borders. They are encrypted by default and auditable in real time. This reduces the jurisdictional complexity that hampers cross-border data flows….

EUROPE, SOUTH AMERICA:

EU-Mercosur trade pact signals limits of Trump’s hardball diplomacy in Latin America

WKZO (Reuters), Jan 13, 2026 – The trade alliance between the EU and South America’s Mercosur, comprising Brazil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, will substantially boost trade ties ‍in a region that saw commerce with China soar in recent decades while U.S. influence plummeted.
But even as U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration seeks wider regional fealty, South American governments from Brazil to Peru are unlikely to relinquish strengthening ties to China or Europe at a time when they have eclipsed the U.S. in trade in most of the region.
If anything, several analysts said, Trump’s efforts to flex American power in the region may have helped push past the finish line a trade agreement that suffered numerous delays over two decades of negotiations.

The Upcoming USMCA/CUSMA/T-MEC Review – The Options are: A Renegotiation, A Few Revisions, or a Formal Exit – Hot Topics in International Trade

JD Supra, Jan 12, 2026 – The U.S. also wants deeper alignment on tariffs, export controls, and investment screening. These are framed as national-security-linked structural issues. The U.S. also wants policy concessions from Canada and Mexico and wants Canada to continue pausing its digital services tax (DST) and repeal two Canadian laws related to digital services and tech regulation. This includes AI regulation, privacy & data, and cybersecurity.

NEW REGIONAL ORDER:

Are Regional Integration Trends Reversing?: Global Implications for MENA Region

‘DEGLOBALISATION’ BETTER UNDERSTOOD AS RE-REGIONALISATION

Times of Israel, Jan 11, 2026 – No. Regional integration is not reversing; it is adapting, deepening, and evolving in response to global fragmentation, exactly as Heaney and Hooper predicted over 25 years ago looking at equity market data….
Sharp global shocks—ranging from supply chain disruptions, energy crises, geopolitical confrontations, or financial turbulence—do not weaken integration. On the contrary, they tend to deepen regional ties as states and firms seek more predictable and manageable networks.
Regional blocs act as buffers, absorbing external volatility while preserving the benefits of global connectivity. Regional integration has strengthened in response to US–China trade tensions and pandemic-related disruptions, illustrating the adaptive function of regional blocs.

How Multilateralism Can Survive

GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS ARE DECLINING, BUT REGIONAL COOPERATION CAN FILL THE GAP

Foreign Affairs (Council on Foreign Relations), Jan 2, 2026 – Even as individual countries negotiate [trade, tariff] concessions from the Trump administration, regional bodies can collectively bargain with the United States or at least agree to a set of joint principles to guide bilateral talks. Forums in Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia can even prevent a total fragmentation of the international trading system by diversifying their supply chains, using new technology to streamline global commerce, and aligning their rules on digital trade and clean energy. Eventually, those rules can be brought to the World Trade Organization….
The European Union is bogged down by the war in Ukraine, immigration issues, political polarization, trade headwinds, and attacks from Trump. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation rarely meets, and even when it does, members keep contentious topics off the table. The African Union faces persistent crises, such as terrorism and civil wars in member countries, and significant hurdles to regional economic integration. The Arab League and the Gulf Cooperation Council, too, are beset with internal divisions and regional conflicts.
Yet regional governance remains the best antidote for weakening multilateralism. It is an essential building block of global governance and has a long history of supporting international cooperation. Since the end of the Cold War, regional institutions have expanded, and their role in facilitating trade, resolving conflicts, and developing shared standards has grown. Now they must support weakened global institutions and take on more responsibilities themselves. This shift will not only help sustain multilateralism but could also improve on it, by harnessing regional strengths and facilitating innovative, bottom-up solutions to the world’s most intractable problems.

LATIN AMERICA:

Javier Milei Announces Creation of Regional Bloc to Stand up to the ‘Cancer of Socialism’

‘ALREADY A GROUP OF TEN COUNTRIES WORKING ON IT’

Breitbart, Jan 2, 2026 – President of Argentina Javier Milei revealed in a soon-to-be released interview he is actively working towards establishing a regional ten-country bloc in Latin America to stand up to the “cancer of socialism.”
Milei was interviewed by journalist Andrés Oppenheimer this week for Oppenheimer’s television show at CNN en Español…. “We haven’t named it yet, but there is already a group of ten countries working on it, and we will continue to move forward,” Milei said….
The newspaper noted that the Argentine government is “enthusiastic” about the evident shift in ideological trends across the region and is seeking to emphasize similarities with other potential members of the group — particularly in light of the upcoming elections in Brazil and Colombia, two nations presently led by socialist governments whom Milei has had past impasses with.

EUROPEAN UNION OVERREACH:

Trump Admin Bans Anti-Free Speech EU Globalists From Entering US

EU THREATENS RETALIATION AGAINST U.S. AFTER EX-CENSORSHIP TSAR BRETON SANCTIONED

Breitbart, Dec 24, 2025 – The unelected European Commission and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed indignation and vowed retaliation on Wednesday over the Trump administration’s sanctions on “leading figures of the global censorship-industrial complex”, including former EU censorship tsar Thierry Breton….
Responding to his travel ban from the United States, the former French finance minister suggested that he was the victim of a McCarthyite “witch hunt”. Breton, who was never elected to any role within the EU, went on to boast that 90 per cent of the European Parliament voted in favour of the Digital Services Act. Yet, like all EU-level legislation, it was drafted by unelected Eurocrats at the European Commission….

EU’s REGIONAL PROTECTIONISM

‘Made in Europe’:
The EU wants protectionism. Some members say it will backfire

The Parliament Magazine, Dec 22, 2025 – When US President Donald Trump first threatened in 2018 to raise tariffs on European iron and steel, then-European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned that Europe could “also do stupid” — a vivid signal that retaliatory tariffs would hurt the US economy just as much as its trading partners.
Less than a decade later, as the bloc confronts unprecedented US tariffs and a surge of cheap Chinese imports, the EU’s own trade pendulum is swinging back towards protectionism.
Over the past year, the bloc — long a staunch defender of free trade — has tightened steel safeguards, floated tougher made-in-Europe rules for defence procurement, imposed stringent import quotas on ferro-alloys and weighed using revenues from an upcoming carbon levy to favour exports.

USMCA’s ‘REGIONAL TARIFF’ PROTECTIONISM:

Mexico’s Strategic Response to US Steel Tariffs Unfolds

‘COMBINING DOMESTIC PROTECTION WITH REGIONAL INTEGRATION’ THROUGH ‘COORDINATED NORTH AMERICAN PROTECTIVE FRAMEWORKS’

Discovery Alert, Dec 17, 2025 – CANACERO, Mexico’s steel industry association, plays a pivotal role in shaping policy responses through direct engagement with legislative committees and executive branch consultations….
Industry advocacy focuses on several key priorities:
• Regional integration enhancement through coordinated North American protective frameworks
• Import substitution acceleration to reduce dependence on external suppliers
• Rules of origin strengthening to incentivise regional content requirements
•Trilateral dialogue promotion replacing unilateral national security frameworks
The organisation’s approach balances immediate protection needs with long-term integration objectives….
Mexico’s response to US steel tariffs demonstrates potential for combining domestic protection with regional integration, offering models for other economies facing similar challenges.

PRECURSOR TO NORTH AMERICAN CUSTOMS UNION?

US Trade Rep Greer: ‘Successful’ USMCA review to include regional tariff ‘security alignment’

CRITICAL MINERALS, ‘ECONOMIC SECURITY ALIGNMENT’ MAY REQUIRE ‘TRILATERAL APPROACH’

Opening Statement for House Ways and Means and Senate Finance Committees Ambassador Jamieson Greer, United States Trade Representative December 16 and 17, 2025
Office of the United States Trade Representative, Dec 17, 2025
“…. We received 1,514 comments from a wide range of stakeholders, and my team has worked hard these last few weeks to read and analyze each comment.
“In their comments, many stakeholders expressed support for the USMCA and many explicitly called for the Agreement to be extended. However, at the same time, virtually all stakeholders also called for some sort of improvement to the Agreement….
“In negotiating firmly, USTR will engage with Mexico and Canada to determine which shortcomings can be addressed on a bilateral basis and which require trilateral resolution. Already, USTR’s engagement with Mexico has demonstrated the effectiveness of focused, bilateral work. But to tackle some issues, such as rules of origin, critical minerals, or economic security alignment, a trilateral approach may be required.
“Whatever the format, the Joint Review will depend on the successful resolution of the following, non-exhaustive, list of issues:….
For both countries [Canada and Mexico]: ….
• Enhancing economic security alignment on tariffs, export controls, and investment screening;….”

CANACERO Supports Sheinbaum’s Strategic Steel Tariff Reforms

Mexico Steel Industry Association’s Strategic Alignment with [US] Protection Policies

Discovery Alert, Dec 17, 2025 – The tariff framework’s differentiated treatment of USMCA partners versus non-agreement countries demonstrates efforts to maintain regional trade integration while protecting against external competition. This structure preserves North American manufacturing partnership while building domestic resilience….
Strategic trade partnership implications extend beyond immediate tariff impacts to broader questions of North American economic integration. Mexico’s protection measures could encourage similar policies by US and Canadian partners, potentially strengthening regional manufacturing resilience while reducing global trade exposure.

EUROPEAN UNION:

EU yields to pressure from automakers as it rethinks 2035 combustion car ban

Reuters, Dec 15, 2025 – The European Commission is expected on Tuesday to reverse the EU’s effective ban on sales of new combustion-engine cars from 2035, bowing to intense pressure from Germany, Italy and European automakers struggling against Chinese and U.S. rivals.
The move, the details of which are still being hashed out by EU officials ahead of its unveiling, could see the effective ban pushed back by five years or softened indefinitely, official and industry sources said.

ARAB GULF, GCC – REGIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE:

GCC-Iraq power link to be operational by next year

CONTRIBUTING TO STABILITY OF REGIONAL ELECTRICAL NETWORKS

Arabian Gulf Business Insight, Dec 15, 2025 – A power grid connecting the GCC countries and Iraq is slated to become operational in the first half of 2026.
The Gulf Cooperation Council Interconnection Authority (GCCIA) and Iraq’s electricity ministry are finalising the preparations for launching the interconnection project, UAE state-run Wam news agency reported.
The project is designed to export power from GCC countries by linking southern Iraq to the Gulf grid, contributing to the stability of regional electrical networks.

CHINA URGES GULF NATIONS TO SEAL FREE TRADE AGREEMENT

Reuters, Dec 14, 2025 – China’s foreign minister has pressed the Gulf Cooperation Council to conclude long-running talks on a free trade agreement with China, attributing the urgency to rising protectionism and unilateralism as free trade comes “under attack”, according to a Monday statement from the ministry.

USMCA – REGIONAL PROTECTIONISM:

Mexico Imposes Up to 50% Tariffs on Asian Imports Ahead of USMCA Review

TO SHOW COMPLIANCE WITH NORTH AMERICAN TRADE PRIORITIES

The 420, Dec 12, 2025 – In a dramatic policy reversal, Mexico’s Senate has approved a new tariff regime imposing duties of up to 50 per cent on more than 1,400 products imported from countries without a formal trade agreement, including India, China, South Korea, Thailand, and Indonesia….
The move poses a significant challenge for Indian exporters … which have relied on Mexico as a strategic entry point into the North American market….
Trade observers believe Mexico’s abrupt move toward protectionism is linked to mounting pressure from Washington ahead of the 2026 USMCA review….
The move also underscores a broader North American shift toward protectionism, with both the U.S. and Canada tightening oversight of imports tied to Asian supply chains.

EUROPEAN UNION:

The EU Insists Its X Fine Isn’t About Censorship. Here’s Why It Is.

Europe calls it transparency, but it looks a lot like teaching the internet who’s allowed to speak

Reclaim the Net, Dec 8, 2025 – The Commission charged X with three violations: the paid blue checkmark system, the lack of advertising data, and restricted data access for researchers….

Musk’s decision to turn blue checks into a subscription feature ended the old system where establishment figures, journalists, politicians, and legacy celebrities got verification…. Before, a blue badge meant you were important. After, it meant you paid. Brussels prefers the former, where approved institutions get algorithmic priority, and the rest of the population stays in the queue. When governments decide who counts as authentic, who qualifies as a researcher, and how visibility gets distributed, speech control doesn’t need to be explicit. It’s baked into the system…. This particular DSA fine isn’t about what you can say, it’s about who’s allowed to be heard saying it.

EU Fines Elon Musk’s X €120 Million for Breaking Digital Rules

UNELECTED EU COMMISSION BUREAUCRATS ATTEMPT TO CENSOR FREE SPEECH IN AMERICA

The European Conservative, Dec 5, 2025 – The European Union hit Elon Musk’s X–—previously known as Twitter—with a €120 million ($140 million) fine on Friday, December 5th. In a move that risks a fresh clash with U.S. president Donald Trump’s administration, the EU claims X is violating its digital regulations….
America’s Vice President J.D. Vance warned the EU pre-emptively on Thursday: “Rumors are swirling that the EU Commission will fine X hundreds of millions of dollars for not engaging in censorship. The EU should be supporting free speech, not attacking American companies over garbage.”

SOUTH ASIA:

Pakistan seeks new South Asian bloc to cut India out: Will it work?

Pakistan says an emerging three-way cooperation with Bangladesh and China could be expanded. But will a new SAARC without India find takers across South Asia?

Al Jazeera, Dec 5, 2025 – Pakistan Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has said that a recent trilateral initiative between Bangladesh, China and Islamabad could be “expanded” to include other regional nations and beyond.
In effect, the proposal amounts to the creation of an alternative bloc focused on South Asia, with China added, at a time when the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) — the region’s main grouping — has been made almost defunct by heightened India-Pakistan tensions in recent years.

ARAB GULF:

Gulf bloc rejects use of force, warns violation of any member’s sovereignty direct threat to collective security

GCC PUSHES TOWARD DEEPER POLITICAL, SECURITY, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL INTEGRATION

Middle East Monitor, Dec 2, 2025 – Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) said Wednesday that any violation of a member state’s sovereignty represents a direct threat to the bloc’s collective security, reaffirming their rejection of the use of force or threats against any GCC country in their final communique at the 46th summit in Manama, Bahrain, Anadolu reports….
The summit affirmed a continued push toward deeper coordination and integration across political, security, economic and social sectors, with the goal of advancing the “desired unity” of the GCC and serving shared interests.

EU and the NEW MERCANTILISM:

Brussels pushes for 70% of critical goods content to be ‘made in Europe’

WOULD MIRROR CHINA’S ‘MADE IN CHINA 2025’ POLICIES

WOULD FORCE EU COMPANIES TO BY CERTAIN PRODUCTS DOMESTICALLY TO CUT RELIANCE ON CHINA
Financial Times, Dec 2, 2025 – An EU official said the scope of the legislation would mirror China’s industrial policies “Made in China 2025” and “China Standards 2035”, which pushed foreign companies towards joint ventures with Chinese businesses in order to access its market.

See older article links, summaries in NEWS ARCHIVE

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

TERMINATE USMCA

The 2020 ratification of the USMCA “free trade” agreement,” scheduled for review in 2026, created a “problem”:
China and others have been circumventing U.S. customs protection via import dumping into Mexico and Canada.
But the “solution” currently being offered by U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is even further integration, by “enhancing economic security alignment on tariffs.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also favors tariff alignment into a “Fortress North America” economic security bloc.
Incredibly, this incremental regionalism/globalism is being perceived as an assertion of Trumpian U.S. nationalism across the continent.
A fully aligned, common-external-tariff structure among the three North American nations would constitute a “customs union.” That would be level two of the “five levels of economic integration,” taught in international business and other programs at universities throughout the world.
The USMCA “free trade” agreement is level one:

This would take North America another step down the same incremental, Hegelian-dialectic, crisis-creating path upon which Jean Monnet pushed European nations to bring about the European Union.
In that regard, the “five levels of economic integration” is a misnomer. The more accurate label is “five steps to political union,” in which national sovereignty would be incrementally surrendered – via “free trade” – to the world’s multinational, regional blocs.
USMCA doesn’t need to be renegotiated. It needs to be terminated.