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The European Union's Geopolitical Role in the Era of Trade Wars

The European Union's Geopolitical Role in the Era of Trade Wars
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Author(s): Marc Selgas-Cors (University of the Basque Country, Spain)
Copyright: 2026
Pages: 28
Source title: Geopolitical and Economic Consequences of Trade Policies and Tariffs
Source Author(s)/Editor(s): Renata Thiébaut (AI Global Exchange Forum, Canada)and Marc Selgas-Cors (Universitat de Barcelona, Spain)
DOI: 10.4018/979-8-3373-3835-4.ch011

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Abstract

In a world increasingly defined by great-power rivalry and economic coercion, the European Union (EU) is reshaping its trade policy to serve not only economic growth but strategic geopolitical objectives. Anchored in a realist international relations framework, the analysis traces how the EU is transitioning from a normative promoter of global trade rules to a more assertive, interest-driven actor capable of wielding economic tools to defend sovereignty, exert influence, and mitigate external threats. The paper examines this shift through five interrelated domains: (1) the internal foundations of the EU's single market and regulatory power; (2) its strategic posture vis-à-vis the United States, China, and Russia; (3) its emerging instruments of economic statecraft, such as the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism and the Anti-Coercion Instrument; (4) the geopolitical implications for the Global South; and (5) its attempts to stabilize a fragmented multilateral order. Drawing on official EU documents, think tank reports, and recent academic literature (2022–2025).

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