Tuesday Nov 19th, 08:30 – 12:00pm (GMT+4)EICN MENA Annual Conference: Trade, technology & tariffs – a new world of protectionismWe are delighted to invite you to join the EICN MENA Annual Conference in Dubai on 19 November, sponsored by The University of Manchester Middle East Centre.Our keynote speaker will be HE Dr Thani bin Ahmed Al Zeyoudi, Minister of State for Foreign Trade, Minister in Charge of Talent Attraction and Retention, and Chairman of the Emirates Drug Establishment.As governments of leading economies expand the use of trade defence instruments and other protectionist measures, other countries are following suit—ultimately at the expense of the efficiency of global trade. This chain reaction mirrors global events during Donald Trump’s first term as US president (2017‑21), driven primarily by concerns that goods blocked by one country will become surplus products re‑directed to alternative markets.Many emerging markets are highly sensitive to a potential influx of Chinese goods, given their ambition to develop homegrown manufacturing sectors. Brazil and Indonesia have also imposed measures to protect their industries against Chinese exporters.Current trade policy developments point to an increasingly vicious cycle. And there are significant risks that retaliatory actions could escalate. Ultimately, the new supply chains that develop as a result of protectionist industrial policy are likely to be less efficient, resulting in more expensive global production and thus inflationary pressure.Whether Mr Trump wins the US presidential election on 5 November or not, the America-first ethos that he preached, once a fringe preference, is now a force in the global political mainstream. Most of his tariffs are still on the books. And the WTO remains neutered. Proponents of protectionist industrial policy can cause great damage with the stroke of a pen, and that damage is not easily reversed.Join us, the minister, our special guest speaker Alex Holmes, the Economist Intelligence Unit’s Asia Director, and influential business leaders to explore the enduring primary and secondary consequences of global trade tariffs and the wider weaponisation of finance and technology. Request to attend this event
Sylvain KlubaChief Financial Officer & Managing Director – India, Middle East & Africa (IMEA) of CEVA logistics