Dominic Barton warns of rising geopolitical risks for global business

Dominic Barton, strategic counselor to Eurasia Group and chair of Rio Tinto, warns that the era of predictable international institutions and free trade is ending. He notes that CEOs must now account for increasing geopolitical shocks, such as U.S. tariffs, conflicts involving Iran, and shifting tech bans between the U.S. and China.

Barton highlighted the volatility of modern diplomacy, citing recent U.S. tariff threats against Canadian goods as an example of how policy can be shifted rapidly via social media rather than traditional diplomatic channels. He argues that companies must move beyond treating geopolitical risk as a peripheral concern addressed by guest speakers and instead integrate it into their core business strategies.