Brunel University of London and University of Leeds Special International Conference

International Conference on Trade Wars, Geopolitical Fragmentation and Repercussions for Financial and Monetary Stability

A special International Conference on Trade Wars, Geopolitical Fragmentation and Repercussions for Financial and Monetary Stability, organised jointly by Brunel University of London and University of Leeds (UK), will take place on 4-5 November 2026 at Brunel University of London (UK).

 * We cannot accommodate changes to the conference programme at this stage, including timing of individual presentations. Please report any factual errors to p.phelps@leeds.ac.uk.

Normally there will be 3 presenters in each session with a total session duration of 75 minutes

Unless indicated otherwise, the last speaker in each session is expected to act as the Chair of the session

Global financial and economic imbalances are central to current policy debates on global financial, economic, and political forums. Escalating trade wars, slowing global growth, and geopolitical tensions create new risks for international financial and monetary stability. In addition to the highly publicised trade war between the US and China, some of the closest allies of the former, including Canada, Japan, the UK and other European countries, are witnessing a major shift in their relations with the US. This was partly in response to the so-called “liberation day”, when President Trump imposed tariffs on each US trading partner, pointedly raising the issue of “unfairness” in current trade arrangements. The assertion of unfair trade practices has a political dimension, yet there is no strong supportive evidence or consensus on this issue. For example, the large US trade deficit may reflect an imbalance in investment and savings, a huge budget deficit and productivity, etc., rather than the unfair practices of its trading partners. Furthermore, the demand for dollars as a reserve currency has exacerbated the US trade deficit, contributing to global imbalances. Large trade deficits in the UK and the US can be associated with the prominent role of finance and banking in these economies, which attract international investments but can weigh heavily on export performance. These deficits were financed in part by capital flows from major oil exporters and emerging (surplus) economies. Further, the low international interest rate environment–a result of the large supply of global savings–has played some role. On the other hand, the idea of lifting capital controls and a freely floating Renminbi is also debatable.