In an era once governed by the exalted spirit of globalisation, a formidable counter current now surges across the face of the earth. The tumultuous aftermath of trade wars, the grievous disruptions wrought by the Covid-19 plague, and the energy crises, magnified by relentless geopolitical strife, have compelled nations to retreat inward, seeking strength and sanctuary within their own bastions rather than in the fragile embrace of international openness.

Economic nationalism long deemed a relic of a bygone age, hath arisen anew, asserting itself as the principal force guiding national policies and redrawing the grand design of global alignments.

Recent reckonings bear solemn witness to this sweeping global transformation. The World Trade Organization proclaimed that G20 economies have raised their average tariff rates from 2.2% in 2017 to 3.5% by 2020, thus marking the first significant ascent of global protectionism since the calamitous days of the Great Depression.

In like manner,........

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