By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Let’s rewind to December 6, 2024. A deal more than 25 years in the making, covering over 700 million people and a combined GDP approaching $22 trillion, became realized. Since then, the agreement has made notable institutional progress while encountering renewed legal and political resistance that will shape its path to implementation. What’s happened recently?
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Has BRICS finally produced an alternative to the “petrodollar” after twenty years? And does it live up to the hype? Depending on where you look online, key details are being left out. So, let’s slow down and review what’s actually happening.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Could BRICS break the dollar’s grip? The answer is coming into sharper focus, and it’s more complicated than either the optimists or skeptics predicted. Since our previous analysis, BRICS has made concrete moves toward de-dollarization while simultaneously confronting harsh economic and political realities. The gap between ambition and achievement has never been clearer.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
For decades, the U.S. dollar has ruled the world. Whether a Brazilian farmer sells soybeans to China or an Indian company buys oil from the Middle East, chances are the transaction runs through greenbacks. Nearly 80 percent of global trade is still denominated in dollars—even when neither the buyer nor the seller is American.
But a new club of rising powers is asking: why?
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
A quiet but significant power shift has been unfolding across Latin America. While the United States has long been the dominant economic and political influence in the region, its recent inward turn under the “America First” doctrine has created openings that China is eager to fill.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Donald Trump’s first term in office pursued an aggressive foreign policy toward China, imposing tariffs, restricting technology transfers, and accusing Beijing of unfair trade practices. However, one unintended consequence of this hardline approach has been China’s accelerated expansion into Latin America—a region traditionally within the U.S. sphere of influence.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Liberation Day passed with the promised reciprocal tariffs touted by the Trump administration. The president, surrounded by workers in the Rose Garden on April 2, executed a number of tariffs promising to Make America Wealthy Again. How did they calculate these tariffs? Well, there’s speculation.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
President Donald Trump made headlines when he announced an External Revenue Service (ERS) agency to collect tariff incomes. The announcement sparked a heated debate among trade experts, economists, and business leaders. But, what exactly would be the purpose of the agency? Well, we can take the words spoken from his inauguration address as an answer.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
China has significantly expanded its economic and geopolitical footprint in Latin America, particularly through the acquisition and development of critical infrastructure such as ports, airfields, and railways. This strategic move has raised questions about the long-term implications for regional sovereignty, global trade routes, and the future of the Panama Canal, a linchpin of international maritime commerce.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Historically, trade agreements have focused on reducing barriers to trade—such as tariffs and quotas—while encouraging economic integration and growth. Environmental protection was often considered a separate issue, addressed primarily through national regulations or multilateral environmental agreements like the Paris Agreement. However, recent developments suggest that trade and environmental concerns are converging, with many new trade agreements incorporating specific environmental provisions.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Historically, trade agreements have focused on reducing barriers to trade—such as tariffs and quotas—while encouraging economic integration and growth. Environmental protection was often considered a separate issue, addressed primarily through national regulations or multilateral environmental agreements like the Paris Agreement. However, recent developments suggest that trade and environmental concerns are converging, with many new trade agreements incorporating specific environmental provisions.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Imagine a world where five powerhouse nations are redefining the global economic landscape. BRICS—an acronym for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—is not just a coalition of emerging markets; it is a formidable alliance shaping the future of global finance and investment. You can read about the coalition’s attempt to unseat the US dollar in our previous newsletter.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Texas isn’t just celebrated for its breathtaking landscapes and rich history—it’s a dynamic powerhouse in international and interstate trade. As the second-largest state in the U.S., Texas capitalizes on its strategic location, diverse economy, and vast infrastructure to fuel an extraordinary flow of goods and services. If Texas was a country, it would be ranked as the eighth- largest economy in the world, ahead of both Canada and Russia.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) is a driving force behind global economic growth and development, acting as a lifeline of funding for nations around the world. Imagine a company from one corner of the globe setting up shop or acquiring a business in another – that’s FDI in action.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
The intricate interplay between trade and food security has emerged as a vital global issue, one that is closely interwoven with the tapestry of international conflicts and political instability. Remember the 2019 pandemic when toilet paper supply chains were interrupted? Now imagine that on a much larger scale with basic food staples like rice, wheat or corn.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
President elect Lai Ching-te’s victory in Taipei ignited tensions across the Taiwan strait and now the geopolitical field waits to see if China will kick off World War Three. I’m only slightly joking, but Beijing has exerted diplomatic pressure on nations maintaining close ties with the island in the past and Taiwan’s decision to remain a democracy will no doubt ramp up China’s reunification process in the coming months. But how will that affect trade relations?
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Tensions are escalating in the South China Sea, a vital maritime route for international trade. Taiwan remains at the center of this conflict and in an increasingly interconnected world, the prospect of a Taiwan invasion has far-reaching implications for global trade and geopolitics. It’s becoming even more crucial to understand the potential repercussions of such an event on the global economy as a potential invasion from China becomes increasingly more likely.
By: Victoria Holmes, Braumiller Law Group
Enter any of the more health-oriented grocery stores in the U.S., like Whole Foods, and you’ll see aisles upon aisles of supplements —everything from multivitamins to fish oil to protein powders.