Article: Friends and Free Trade: How Indo-Pacific Countries Can Leverage the QUAD and I2U2 in Friendshoring

Abstract

Recent disruptions in international relations and the international trading order have given rise to new innovations in the ways countries trade. In this regard, friend-shoring is emerging as a means to recast entrenched global supply chains in a manner that favours friends and allies. Through this paper, we seek to explore how Indo-Pacific countries particularly India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Japan, Australia and the United States (US) can use friendshoring to integrate itself into global supply chains. Particularly, we focus on how these countries can leverage ‘minilaterals’ such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD) and I2U2 (India, Israel, UAE. US) to collaborate on traditional as well as emerging areas of trade and gain from the strengths of these trading partners. In doing so, we look at free trade agreements (FTA) and regional agreements that exist between these countries, to examine if the same may be channelized to further friendshoring. We also study major collaborations that are taking shape amongst these countries. friend-shoring, QUAD, I2U2, IMEEC, minilaterals