Trade Today: Tracking Global Supply Chains and Mitigating Vulnerabilities

In today’s volatile and interconnected world economy, the ability to interpret and analyze trade data is more critical than ever. This six-week asynchronous course equips professionals with the tools and frameworks needed to understand the structure, risks, and policy implications of global value chains (GVCs) using trade in value-added (TiVA) data.

 Drawing on the OECD TiVA database and complementary sources such as the ADB MRIO and newer, innovative efforts such as AIPNET, datasets, the course explores the evolution of global production, the role of multinational firms, and how different countries and sectors are positioned within complex supply chains. Learners will also examine how TiVA-based metrics can be used to detect vulnerabilities, model shock propagation, and assess economic resilience in an era of strategic competition and re-globalization.

Learning Outcomes

 By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

•  Differentiate between traditional gross trade statistics and trade in value-added measures, and understand the advantages and limitations of each for policy and strategy.
• Explain the historical evolution of global production and value chains, and how structural shifts have shaped current geopolitical trade dynamics.
• Identify, compare, and evaluate key databases used for analyzing GVCs and trade in value added, including OECD TiVA, ADB MRIO, and AIPNET.
• Understand how value-added databases are constructed, including input-output modeling techniques, country/sector coverage, and methodological challenges.
• Interpret key TiVA indicators, such as backward and forward participation, domestic value added, re-imported content, and GVC length—linking these to questions of competitiveness and vulnerability.
• Analyze the role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in shaping trade and investment flows, including how MNE production structures affect national trade exposure.
• Apply TiVA-based tools to assess supply chain risks, chokepoints, and economic exposure in a sector, country, or firm context.
• Evaluate the interaction between trade policy and national security concerns, using TiVA data to understand the potential impacts of reshoring, export controls, or industrial subsidies.
• Design simple analytical approaches or policy briefs that use TiVA data to address real-world challenges in trade, resilience, or economic statecraft.

 The course will also explore approaches to vulnerability mitigation using trade in value-added concepts and data. As well as understanding the differences between traditional trade data and trade in value-added data, and their strengths and weaknesses.

During the course, we will address the following questions

What has been the historical evolution of global trade and trade in value-added learning about the various supply chain and value-added trade databases?

How are value-added databases created?

What are the various kinds of trade in value-added indicators, and how are they useful to understanding the connections and positions of trading countries and sectors?

What is the role of Multinational Corporations in value and supply chains?

What are the ways TiVA databases can identify potential supply chain vulnerabilities?

How does one develop and assess trade and national security policies in an integrated world economy?

Policies and Processes

Refunds:

The following is the refund policy for courses registered through our Professional and Lifelong Learning Portal (https://american.catalog.instructure.com/).

Learners will be eligible for a refund (minus any non-refundable fees) if they drop a course and request a refund no later than the date the course starts as per the dates in Canvas and/or Canvas Catalog platforms. If a learner registered for a course after the start date, they will be ineligible for a refund.

Learners registered for on-demand courses without a start date will be eligible for a refund if the course is dropped and a refund is requested within 24 hours of registration and when there is no record of page views or participation in the Canvas Platform.

Refund requests will be denied if requested after a course’s start date, 24 hours after registration in the case of on-demand courses without a start date, or when there is a record of page views or participation in the canvas Platform.

Payments and fees:

For payments with credit cards, debit cards or bank accounts, the tuition cost includes a non-refundable 4% administrative fee. In case an eligible refund is requested, the net funds returned will be the tuition minus 4%. 

Notice about AU Non-Credit Courses:

Non-credit courses are not recorded in American University transcripts. No credit is earned from these courses and grades are not posted. Learners enrolled in Non-Credit courses will not receive an AU ID or have access to services and or facilities reserved for AU students. Access to the AU library system will be available to all members of the greater Washington DC area through visitor services. See the link for more information https://www.american.edu/library/services/visitors.cfm

For Information about this course:

SIS Strategic Partnerships
partnerships@american.edu