Resumen
The new geopolitical reality and the protectionist shift in the US are causing a profound structural transformation in the international trading system: a redefinition of its architecture in which new priorities are emerging, focused on strategic autonomy, economic security and supply-chain resilience.
In response to this new context, many countries and blocs are reconfiguring their international alliances and trade strategies. The EU is no exception, promoting initiatives already underway, including efforts to deepen the internal market –in line with proposals put forward by the former Italian Prime Ministers Mario Draghi and Enrico Letta– and adopting an approach of ‘open strategic autonomy’, i.e., strengthening the EU’s capacity to act autonomously in a multipolar world, without abandoning its commitment to open markets and multilateral cooperation.
It is no coincidence that the EU’s external trade strategy is focused on expanding and modernizing its global network of free trade agreements (FTAs). This strategy includes recent agreements with New Zealand and the modernization of existing agreements with key partners, as well as ongoing negotiations with India, Australia and South-East Asian economies. In this context, preliminary discussions have also emerged on a possible EU link to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), as part of a more ambitious framework for interregional trade integration.