OBELA Analysis

Global action against climate change has been further weakened by the initial measures of President Trump's second administration. On 7 January 2026, he formalised the United States' withdrawal from 66 international organisations and agreements, including 31 related to environmental protection. This text will discuss the implications of this withdrawal for global climate efforts.

After more than 30 years of negotiations, the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement was initially signed on 17 January 2026 (ratification). Almost 800 million people and more than 30 nations are involved in what will be one of the most important free trade agreements globally. However, the treaty is the subject of considerable controversy, with questions about whether the free trade agreement benefits all these people and whether they participate equally in it. Faced with a United States that uses tariffs as an aggressive trade policy, several countries are changing the direction of their trade, such as Mercosur, which has agreed to a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association

Following the 2008 crisis, the BRICS countries began to develop their own International Financial Architecture (IFA) to reduce reliance on the dollar. They have opted for trade paid in local currency, as well as for the development of various infrastructure that reduces reliance on the Western-dominated transaction system, to lower transaction costs and reduce uncertainty about the dollar's price.