A few good friends?—Embedded discrimination in global supply chain reformulation

Global supply chain reformulation has emerged as a central policy priority for many states as they confront recurring geopolitical and economic disruptions. The process, however, is increasingly confined to select groups of like-minded states and corporations, rendering it inherently selective and discriminatory. This characteristic signals a de facto departure from the long-standing principle of non-discrimination that underpins international trade and investment law. Yet the legal implications of this shift have been largely neglected, with most analyses limited to broad invocations of national security exceptions. The ongoing restructuring of global supply chains thus carries systemic consequences for the existing global economic order and may mark the emergence of a new model of global economic governance. Addressing this challenge requires a structured legal approach: defining the scope of reformulation, distinguishing between general and strategic supply chains, and establishing flexible dispute resolution mechanisms.