International Economics Ltd

13/10/2026

🌏 Supporting evidence-based monitoring of the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan 2025–2035

From 29 September to 15 October 2026, Loan Le – Director of International Economics Consulting (IEC) – is participating in a series of Baseline Data Validation Workshops for the ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community (ASCC) Strategic Plan 2025–2035.

The workshops, organised by the ASEAN Secretariat, with the support of the Aus4ASEAN Futures Initiative, provide an important opportunity to work with ASEAN Member States to review baseline data, assess data availability and gaps, and discuss targets for monitoring progress towards the ASCC Strategic Plan's objectives.

IEC is pleased to contribute technical expertise to Cluster 3 – Environment and Resilience, supporting the development of a robust, practical, and evidence-based monitoring framework covering environmental sustainability, climate change, and disaster resilience.

Beyond the numbers, this process is about ensuring that the indicators are measurable, meaningful, and useful for policymaking, while reflecting the diverse national circumstances and capacities across ASEAN.

We look forward to continued collaboration with ASEAN stakeholders in strengthening results-based monitoring and advancing a more sustainable and resilient ASEAN community.

Find the event’s press release:

The Association of Southeast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, was established on 8 August 1967 in Bangkok, Thailand, with the signing of the ASEAN Declaration (Bangkok Declaration) by the Founding Fathers of ASEAN: Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Brunei Darussalam joined ASEAN on 7...

14/09/2026

Geopolitics is reshaping Global Trade and rewriting the rules of the game.

Amid trade wars, the fragmentation of multilateralism, growing US–China rivalry and shifting geopolitical power dynamics, Mauritius must navigate a world of both heightened vulnerabilities and emerging opportunities.

In this interview, Paul Baker, CEO of International Economics Consulting Ltd (IEC), explores Mauritius’ strengths and the choices it must now make to preserve its competitiveness. From adapting to new rules of international trade to building new capabilities, Mauritius must move from strategy to action, while navigating a world where even neutrality is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain.

Is geopolitics now the defining force behind international trade? What does this mean for Mauritius as a small, open economy? And which opportunities in Africa are Mauritian businesses still overlooking?

Read the interview to explore the challenges, and opportunities, shaping Mauritius’ next chapter in the global economy.

This article explores the challenges and opportunities shaping Mauritius’ next chapter in the global economy.

02/09/2026

🌍 AGOA Could Be Back on Track

The US Senate has voted to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) until the end of 2028 – a potentially positive development for African exporters, including Mauritius.

The next key step is for the US House of Representatives to approve the extension.

For Mauritius, the continuation of the Third-Country Fabric rule is particularly important, as it remains critical to the competitiveness of the country’s textile industry.

But AGOA’s future also raises a bigger question: what comes after AGOA❓

Stakeholders are emphasising the importance of preparing for the post-AGOA period, through possible bilateral free trade agreements with the US to secure more stable and reciprocal trade relations.

Paul Baker, Chairman of International Economics Consulting Ltd and the Africa Trade Foundation, shares his views on the prospects for the extension of AGOA and the potential for a free trade agreement with the US.

👉 Read the full article:

This article discusses the AGOA extension until the end of 2028, which could be a potentially positive development for African exporters, including Mauritius.

10/07/2026

How can women entrepreneurs turn AfCFTA opportunities into real export growth? 🌍

This was the focus of a two-day workshop in Mauritius that brought together women entrepreneurs to explore how they can access African markets.

As part of the programme, our Senior Trade Specialist, Smita Bhirgoo Bheenick, delivered a practical session on developing an AfCFTA Export Strategy and Action Plan.

The discussion moved beyond identifying opportunities to answering the practical questions businesses face: Which markets should we target? What requirements must we meet? Which route to market should we choose? What resources, partnerships and actions are needed to succeed?

The key message: Turning opportunity into exports requires targeted market research, careful preparation and a clear plan of action.

We were delighted to contribute to this initiative organised by the Economic Development Board Mauritius in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme, to support Mauritian women-led businesses in reaching markets across Africa.

12/05/2026

De-dollarisation is forcing Mauritius to adopt strategic diversification. This phenomenon is expected to accelerate, with the US dollar gradually losing its influence in trade. In this context, Mauritius stands to benefit by limiting its dependence on this currency.

Paul Baker, CEO of International Economics Consulting Ltd, notes that the prospects of holding assets in yuan or Indian rupees do not offer better protection against financial risks. He points out that the situation may be different for the euro or the Swiss franc, although even these face challenges, such as recent instability in the Swiss franc and sluggish growth in the eurozone amid geopolitical tensions with Russia.
Read the full article here:

This article explores how de-dollarisation is forcing Mauritius to adopt strategic diversification.

07/05/2026

🌍 What could the future of regional trade integration look like by 2040?
We are pleased to share the Foresight Study on Regional Trade Integration in Asia-Pacific 2040, prepared with ESCAP by Paul Baker, Chairman of International Economics Consulting Ltd, and Loan Le, Director of International Economics Consulting (Viet Nam).

At a time of rapid change in the global trading system, the study explores plausible pathways for regional trade integration, examining how economies may respond to fragmentation, regulatory divergence, digital transformation, sustainability pressures, and evolving models of cooperation. The study discusses four potential scenarios of regional integration:

• A power-based route that is driven by geopolitical competition;
• A unilateral route marked by fragmentation and protectionism;
• A regional integration route with deeper intra-bloc cooperation;
• A renewed multilateral route with stronger global coordination.

By looking at the likely outcomes of four potential scenarios, the study contributes to forward-looking policy discussions on how Asia-Pacific economies can strengthen resilience, deepen cooperation, and support more inclusive regional integration toward 2040.

Which pathway do you think is most likely for regional trade integration in Asia-Pacific by 2040 - and why?

📘 Read the publication here:

24/04/2026

🌍 The global trade landscape is shifting faster than many African landlocked least developed countries (LLDCs) can adapt.

We are pleased to share this timely UN-OHRLLS report, developed by International Economics Consulting Ltd and Professor David Luke, which examines the trade patterns, market access conditions and structural constraints shaping African LLDCs and sets out practical priorities for enhancing trade resilience and value addition through regional integration.

🔍 Some key highlights:
▪️ African LDCs and LLDCs show strong opportunities for integration in three priority regional value chains: food products, apparel and motor vehicles & parts.
▪️ Transit dependence continues to undermine LLDC competitiveness and integration into regional and global value chains, underscoring the importance of effective transit agreements and corridor-based facilitation measures such as One-Stop Border Posts.
▪️ E-commerce and digital trade are emerging as critical pathways for Africa’s LDCs and LLDCs to diversify exports, connect to regional value chains and overcome traditional barriers to market access.
▪️ Regional integration and South-South cooperation remain central to Africa’s strategy for trade-led industrial transformation, offering LDCs and LLDCs a platform to overcome structural constraints and deepen participation in value-added trade.

📄 Read the full report authored by Professor David Luke, Paul Baker, Loan Le, Neetish Hurry, Akshay Bholee and Smita Bheenick here: https://bit.ly/4ucN77r

20/04/2026

📣 Neetish Hurry, Director of Analytics and Cognitive Computing, and Smita Bheenick, Senior Trade Specialist at International Economics Consulting Ltd, will be speaking at the 12th KESRA Economic Dialogue hosted by the Kenya Revenue Authority tomorrow!

Join our team and other leading experts to explore how data analytics can be leveraged to support smarter trade decisions and stronger intra-African trade outcomes.

📅 21 April 2026 | 2:00-4:30 PM (EAT) | Online

Register now: https://bit.ly/3QjX4RI

For a preview of the insights data can unlock, explore our Trade Performance Dashboard covering 200+ countries: https://bit.ly/4clgm1J

10/04/2026

International trade—across goods, services, and digital markets—increasingly depends on open cross-border data flows and trusted access to information, wherever it is stored or processed. As regulatory pressures grow, some countries have introduced data protection measures that restrict these flows, often citing privacy or national security concerns, creating new friction in digital trade.

Yet data is now as vital to modern economies as the movement of physical goods. When countries recognise each other’s data protection standards as adequate, information can circulate more freely across larger economic areas, driving innovation, productivity, and growth. In this context, cyber diplomacy—bridging human rights, security, and economic policy—can serve as the catalyst for balanced rules that protect citizens and enable digital trade to flourish.
Read the full paper here, authored by Michael Mudd, our Senior Digital Trade Advisor 👉

This paper looks at how digital trade relies on open cross-border data flows and how policies around trade, privacy, and security shape that landscape.

09/04/2026

International Economics Consulting Ltd has been engaged in several global projects shaping international trade and investment. We are pleased to share our latest Newsletter.

This edition provides a comprehensive overview of our recent activities and performance, including:

• Insightful articles and analysis
• Key project updates
• Notable news highlights
• Current dashboards and metrics

International Economics has been engaged in several global projects shaping international trade and investment.