The Law and Economics of Globalisation

This subject examines the law and economics of globalisation. Economic globalisation is at the centre of ongoing debates in areas as diverse as sustainability and climate change, national security, fair and balanced economic growth, and the very restructuring of international relations that seems to be underway. This subject offers a sophisticated understanding not only of contemporary globalisation, but also the reactionary trends that continue to emerge in varied forms: so-called ‘trade wars’ between major economies, unilateral climate measures, restrictions on trade in critical technology like semiconductors or 5G, concerns around forced labour or weak environmental standards, concerns around data protection and cybersecurity in the new digital economy, repatriating foreign supply-chains to the domestic economy, concerns around currency undervaluation by export-driven States, and issues around the so-called ‘State-led’ capitalist model in economies like China. We offer a detailed analysis of these phenomena and how States are using existing and new legal instruments to manage the risks and impacts of globalisation as it evolves and adapts in this new environment. The course caters both to practitioners looking to build expertise in the highly commercially-relevant areas of trade remedies and export controls, as well as to those looking to deepen their understanding of the modern dynamics of globalisation and its intersection with law.