Protectionism around natural resources is surging, and could spell danger for commodities
CNBC
05/03/2021
Elliot Smith
Countries rich in natural resources have become increasingly protectionist over the past year as Covid-19 threatened their economies, a new study has shown.
A report published Thursday by risk consultancy Verisk Maplecroft indicated that over the course of 2020, 34 countries had seen a "significant increase" in resource nationalism, with the pandemic exacerbating an existing trend toward government intervention.
Verisk Maplecroft determined that 18 of the 34 countries are dependent on the minerals or hydrocarbons they export, and predicted that the threat of isolationism would increase in the coming years as governments attempt to plug fiscal holes in the wake of the pandemic.