Trade law is no longer just a tool for regulating markets. It has become a powerful instrument of geopolitical influence. In today’s global environment, legal decisions involving trade agreements, regional partnerships, and economic sanctions often produce ripple effects that influence international alliances and trigger conflicts. This article examines how trade law contributes to both cooperation and tension in the global system. It draws on key examples such as the transformation of the European Union from an economic to a political union, the strategic development of CPTPP and RCEP in the Asia-Pacific, and the formation of negotiating coalitions within the World Trade Organization. These examples show how legal trade frameworks help build lasting international partnerships. The article also explores how trade law has been used to escalate disputes, including the United States and China trade conflict, the economic sanctions imposed on Russia, the trade consequences of the United Kingdom’s withdrawal from the European Union, and the global divide over the TRIPS waiver proposal during the COVID-19 crisis. These cases illustrate how trade law can shape global outcomes far beyond commerce. The article concludes by emphasizing the need to better understand the political role of trade law and to prepare for the wide-ranging effects that may result from its use in a rapidly changing global order.
