In the grand scheme of geopolitics and international trade, governments compete with each other on the global stage. Writing this nearly 84 years after the U.S. entered World War II, we have luckily not seen such a conflict since then. This is in part because of the democratic and economic principles enshrined globally after that war. And while I do not deny all the terrible wars and conflicts since then, countries have been able to direct their competition into other, non-military spheres.

A traditional framework for understanding this competition (and conflict) is called DIME: (1) Diplomatic, (2) Informational, (3) Military, and (4) Economic. A lengthier (and more accurate) acronym is MIDFIELD: (1) Military, (2) Informational, (3) Diplomatic, (4) Financial, (5) Intelligence, (6) Economic, (7) Law & (8) Development.

Global trade can fall into many of these spheres. For example, trade controls can fall into (7) Law, (6) Economic, (2) Informational, and even (1) Military (if the controls are on defense articles or services). Export controls are enshrined in law through statutes like the Export Control Reform Act of 2018 (ECRA) and the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). They create friction in global sales, and impact corporate profits and U.S. jobs needed to create and/or export the item or service. Export and import controls also overlap with intellectual property, intangible technology, and telecommunications and informational systems that connect us through the internet, subsea cables, phone lines and satellites.

Technology, now more in the realm of the private sector, is also a tool of geopolitical competition. Almost by definition, technology is in the informational category of MIDFIELD, but it supports every other category. Technology can be a bargaining chip in diplomatic relations (see semiconductor export controls), create trillion-dollar global markets, be sources of intelligence (see TikTok), and hold keys to successful economic development and the eradication of hunger and poverty.

Among other lenses, I will use this one in the Trade & Tech Blog. Next up: the Trade & Tech Agency Spotlight Series.

Note: This post contains AI-generated imagery.