NEW PAPER
See who’s winning the Ukraine war
By Emily de la Bruyère, Founder, and Nathan Picarsic, Co-Founder, Horizon Advisory
NEW ARTICLE
China threatens a solar trade embargo
By Nis Grünberg, Lead Analyst, and François Chimits, Analyst, MERICS
Advancing sustainable global trade
The Hinrich Foundation is a unique Asia-based philanthropic organization that works to advance mutually beneficial and sustainable global trade through research and educational programs.
Understanding global trade
Original research, strategic insights and quick analysis that offer a better understanding of key global trade trends and issues.

America is losing its greatest strength: human capital

14 March 2023

Net Zero’s trade imperative: A case study on the global demand for solar technology

14 March 2023

Non-tariff barriers and the mystery of UK food price inflation

14 March 2023

Super connector platforms can drive digital trade facilitation

07 March 2023


07 March 2023

China’s '2035 Standards' quest to dominate global standard-setting

21 February 2023

IPEF’s early fanfare masks risks in the US approach

26 October 2022
Forget about free trade agreements
23 August 2022


05 October 2022
Trade education tools
Our trade education tools include the International Trade Rankings to help students and employers identify the best trade-related masters programs around the world; and scholarships and short courses for trade business professionals, media and policymakers.
Scholarships & Short-Courses
Global Rankings of International Trade Master's Programs
The QS International Trade Rankings help students to identify programs that will secure them employment and accelerate their trade careers, enable companies to hire work-ready talent, and provide universities with comparability, recognition and the means to enhance their global trade programs.

INSEAD Master in Business Administration
INSEAD shapes leaders who are equipped to tackle world-scale challenges and advance business as a force for good. Its values are aligned with those of the Hinrich Foundation. Scholars are up-and-coming executives looking to advance sustainable trade . . .
Hinrich Foundation Alumni Association
We established the Hinrich Foundation Alumni Association (HFAA) to stimulate regular exchanges between young trade leaders committed to advancing sustainable global trade. Led by the Alumni Leadership Committee, the HFAA is a community of people who . . .

Georgetown Master of Science in Foreign Service
Through this generous partial tuition scholarship, we aim to empower future leaders in government, business and civil society to advance trade in consideration of balancing economic, social and environmental implications. The campus in Washington, . . .

Telling the global trade story
Sponsored by the Hinrich Foundation, the National Press Foundation launched a series of online briefings covering all aspects of global trade. These webinars are designed to keep reporters up to date on one of the most complex and important topics . . .
Resources, support, and recognition for journalists
Objective analysis of trade trends and issues, short-courses, Masters in International Journalism Studies (MAIJS) scholarships and an award for distinguished reporting on trade.
Our experts are trusted by news organizations across the globe


In the news
Media come to us for fresh thinking and deep analysis into the issues impacting global trade outcomes. Read our recent experts’ commentaries. Drawn from a wide range of disciplines and sectors, our experts offer valuable views and opinions on achieving sustainable global trade.


26 February 2023
Featured our analysis on the prospect of a ‘rainforest OPEC’ by contributor Henry Storey and Director of Research Chuin Wei Yap. "The Hinrich Foundation speculated that the existence of large carbon sinks in the form of forests could lead to a substantial increase in economic power for the "Global South."

Chinese spy balloon saga reveals US and China as weak and unprepared, experts believe

14 February 2023
Cited Stephen Olson's analysis on whether the spy balloon debacle would derail Biden’s China strategy. "Perhaps the most salient takeaway...is that neither side feels it is in a particularly strong position at the moment. Attempting to calm the seas – at least for now – serves the best interests of both."


12 February 2023
The election of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as president of Brazil has raised the possibility of a free-trade deal between China and the Southern Common Market (Mercosur). But the agreement will further increase competition between Washington and Beijing in the so-called backyard of the United States, says Stephen Olson.

Outside voices: Has a ‘detached, disinterested’ U.S. turned away from the WTO?

02 February 2023
A reproduction of Keith Rockwell's "searing assessment" of the state of play at the World Trade Organization and ithe body's "fraying seams", beset by a “sharp deterioration” in US leadership. Keith Rockwell is Senior Research Fellow at the Hinrich Foundation and former Spokesman of the WTO.

China still wants to control Big Tech. It’s just pulling different strings

27 January 2023
Investors have raced back into Chinese tech stocks this year, but the enthusiasm may prove to be premature. Beijing is tightening its grip on Big Tech in the country by acquiring so-called “golden shares”. The policy could present a “nightmare” scenario for foreign investors, says Research Fellow Alex Capri.
The Sustainable Trade Index 2022 Educator’s Forum
Educators play a key role in shaping the next generation of leaders. The Hinrich Foundation in partnership with the IMD World Competitiveness Center curated a forum specially for educators to show how the Sustainable Trade Index may supplement their academic materials and lead students in discussions on the economic, social, legal, historic, and geopolitical dynamics driving global trade. Catch up on the discussion with our expert panel.
How reporters can use the Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index 2022
Designed for researchers, policymakers, educators, business executives, and other interested stakeholders, the Hinrich-IMD Sustainable Trade Index (STI) acts as a springboard for discussions on the economic, social, legal, historic, and geopolitical dynamics driving global trade. This educational program, co-developed by the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents and the Hinrich Foundation, provided foreign correspondents with the opportunity to learn from two experts, Stephen Olson and Christos Cabolis, about the STI, its policy implications, and use for reporters.
Nikkei Asia wins Hinrich Foundation trade reporting award
Nikkei Asia has won the Hinrich Foundation Award for Distinguished Reporting on Trade from the National Press Foundation for its fascinating coverage of how the pandemic, war, and the escalating US-China strife over semiconductors combined to upend global supply chains in 2022. The Guardian newspaper of Nigeria won an honorable mention for a three-month-long investigation that exposed how herbal products marketed in Nigeria as hailing from Ghana were actually manufactured in Nigeria and falsely labeled.
Where Great Powers Meet by David Shambaugh
In his book, Where Great Powers Meet: America and China in Southeast Asia, Professor Shambaugh examines how the United States and China are engaged in a broad-gauged and global competition for power.
The World Turned Upside Down by Clyde Prestowitz
In this book, Clyde Prestowitz describes the key challenges posed by China and the strategies America and other liberal democracies must adopt to meet them. He argues that these approaches must be more sophisticated and comprehensive than a narrowly targeted trade war, and that they don't have to contravene international or domestic law.
China, Trade and Power by Stewart Paterson
We supported the publication of “China, Trade and Power: Why the West’s Economic Engagement Has Failed” to promote reasoned and informed debate on the trade relationship between the West and China. This book, by Stewart Paterson, describes the unintended consequences of the policy of engagement that led to China's accession to the WTO in 2001, and aims to equip policymakers, business leaders and civil societies to contribute to the design of mutually beneficial approaches for sustainable global trade.
Developing China: The Remarkable Impact of Foreign Direct Investment
We commissioned Professor Michael J. Enright to lead a major research project identifying the impact of foreign direct investment on China’s economic development. The book provides a powerful analysis of China’s policies toward foreign investment and gives foreign companies tools to demonstrate their contributions to host countries, showing the tremendous power of foreign investment to help transform economies.