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APEC Leaders Signal End of Unfettered Free-Trade Era
APEC leaders acknowledged the end of unconstrained free trade, shifting focus toward resilience, diversification and targeted cooperation.
At the APEC summit, senior leaders signalled a shift away from unquestioned free trade and investment frameworks, citing supply-chain fragility, geopolitical tensions and strategic industrial policy. Nations discussed more targeted cooperation, resilience measures and regional trade pacts rather than returning to pre-crisis openness. Economists say the move could reconfigure long-term investment flows and push companies to diversify sourcing and onshore critical capabilities, altering global value-chain economics and trade diplomacy over the coming decade.