Business as Weapon: How International Trade Becomes a Missile

f the last year has taught the world anything, it is that the government and (just about) anything else don’t mix. More than one family dinner has been ruined by politics, and politics has even creeped into talk of vaccines and keeping our country safe from Covid-19. Although the emphasis of the politics of the pandemic has made the eradication of the disease more difficult, the past weekend reminded the world that politics can even creep into the international affairs of business. And for those who have been made pawns in the political game, years of their lives have been wasted so that their governments could make a political stand.

As the World Watched

When Michael Kovrig and Michal Spavor landed in Calgary, Alberta early last Saturday, after 33 months of being confined in China, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was there to welcome them back to their home country. The apprehension of these two businessmen was a reaction to Chinese native Meng Wanzhou’s arrest in Canada, a move that many around the world characterized as “hostage politics.”…