How are geopolitical priorities changing the global economy and trade, and what does that mean for development?
This question will be at the heart of our upcoming Trade and Development Report 2026.
For decades, the answer seemed a matter of getting the policies right, and development thinking often looked to Asia for the template. But while Asia has shown remarkable resilience in the face of trade uncertainty and geopolitical risk, the terms of that question have shifted.
Geoeconomics is changing not only how fast countries can develop, but whether the paths that once led upwards remain open at all. The report focuses on the growing importance of geoeconomics: the ways in which economic relationships and geopolitical interests influence each other.