With Trump’s second term in office, the global economy is entering a new chapter: tariffs are rising, national protectionism is making a comeback, and open markets can no longer be taken for granted. The uncertainty caused by Trump’s shifting tariff policies is already shaping the prospects of Brandenburg’s Mittelstand and Africa’s export-dependent economies. For both, the risk is the same: to be caught in the crossfire of global trade tensions without the buffers of scale or power.

This situation raises a central question: how can companies in Brandenburg and in African states maintain their position in international markets when protectionist policies restrict access and disrupt supply chains? The answers range from political action and the role of chambers and associations to entrepreneurial strategies – whether through diversifying markets, fostering innovation, or strengthening regional integration. Development cooperation also plays a role: it can support African partners in building resilient structures and regional value chains – an approach that also opens up opportunities for cooperation with Brandenburg.

The Brandenburg Dialogue provides a forum for this exchange. It brings together actors from politics, business, academia, and development cooperation to examine the consequences of protectionist trade policies and to explore shared responses. By engaging with international partners, it creates a space in which experiences are exchanged, perspectives are broadened, and new forms of cooperation are considered – with the aim of making SMEs on both sides more resilient and of seizing opportunities in an increasingly uncertain global order.