As the global economy faces increasing instability and geopolitical tension, the European Union is adapting its trade strategy to manage risk, assert its global role, and diversify its partnerships. This Mini Intensive Trade Seminar, hosted by the WITA Academy, WITA International and Borderlex, provides a timely update on the EU’s trade priorities. Featuring experts from Europe and beyond, this program will explore the EU’s economic and regulatory toolkit, its response to geopolitical shocks, and its agenda for new trade agreements and market diversification.

Registration for the Mini Intensive Trade Seminar is open to the public and all sessions are off-the-record/Chatham House Rules.

If you cannot attend every session in real time, a link to the recording will be sent to all registered attendees to watch on your time on a password protected site.

Prices and Registration: 

For group rates (3 or more ticket purchases), email Diego Anez (danez@wita.org) to receive a special rate.

Program Agenda and Speakers

 Session 1: Geopolitical Turbulence, Trade and Europe’s Global Role

This session will examine how the EU is responding to external shocks, including U.S.-China tensions, security-related trade pressures, tariff escalations, and the implications for Europe’s position in the global trading system. It will explore the balance between transatlantic cooperation and the EU’s pursuit of strategic autonomy.

Session 2: Europe’s Economic Toolkit: Strategic Policy and Regulatory Tools

This session will explore how the EU is deploying its set of economic and regulatory instruments to safeguard its interests amid global uncertainty. Topics include investment screening, foreign direct investment rules, the Anti-Coercion Instrument, foreign subsidies regulation, and other tools tied to the EU’s economic security and competitiveness agenda.

Session 3: The EU’s Trade Agreements and Diversification Plans

This session will focus on the EU’s strategy to expand market access and reduce trade dependence on one region or individual trading partners amid global tensions. Topics will include the EU’s trade negotiation agenda (Mercosur, India, Indo-Pacific), updating other agreements (Japan, Mexico, Canada), supply chain resilience, and the role of other partnerships in trade diplomacy such as critical minerals.

Who Should Attend?

• International trade professionals and policymakers at the federal, state, and local levels seeking to understand the EU’s economic security strategies and their impact on transatlantic relations.
• Corporate leaders and industry experts in key sectors like technology, manufacturing, energy, and agriculture navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by EU trade policies and regulations.
• Embassy and ministry officials from around the world covering EU trade or member-state policies, aiming to deepen their understanding of Brussels’ policymaking ecosystem and its global implications.
• Law firms and legal professionals advising clients on international trade, export controls, FDI screening, and compliance with EU regulations.
• Multinational corporations and trade teams managing transatlantic operations or supply chains impacted by the EU’s industrial and trade policies.
• Chambers of commerce, trade associations, and industry groups representing businesses affected by EU economic security policies and promoting international trade cooperation.
• Academics, researchers, and students in trade policy, international relations, law, or economics eager to understand how the EU formulates trade policy and its global impacts.

Why Attend?

• Understand the EU’s trade policy ecosystem, including its unique legislative and institutional processes.
• Learn about the latest EU regulatory developments and how they impact U.S. stakeholders and allies. 
• Discover opportunities for collaboration and innovation between the U.S. and EU in areas like technology, supply chains, and trade diplomacy.

About Intensive Trade Seminar

For more than a decade, WITA’s Intensive Trade Seminar (ITS) has been a cornerstone program, educating government officials, private sector professionals, and the public on how to navigate the Washington and international trade policy landscape.

ITS sessions cater to a diverse audience, including policymakers, trade professionals, corporate leaders, legal advisors, and students, providing practical knowledge of trade policy mechanics and fostering connections within the trade community.

In addition to the flagship program on American trade policy making, WITA offers ITS sessions on hot-button issues and specific trade topics, delivering in-depth education that supports a deeper understanding of trade policy.

About Borderlex

Borderlex is the go-to resource for news, analysis, commentary, insights, in-depth technical analysis on trade policy and free trade negotiations in Europe.

Their main focus is European Union trade policy in Europe, Britain’s post-Brexit trade policy and key World Trade Organization developments. They are the only comprehensive news outfit on trade policy based in the EU.

Borderlex was born as a blog in May 2014 and turned into a professional news site in 2016. Since then it has established a firm reputation for providing reliable news, and solid, predictive, and critical analysis on European trade and investment policy.

Thank you to our WITA International Partner