On May 21, 2025, during rising tensions over US tariffs on steel and aluminium, Ajay Srivastava, founder of Global Trade Research Initiative, publicly endorsed India's calibrated, rules-based trade approach as a counter to what he described as U.S. unilateralism. His comments position India as a staunch defender of multilateral trade norms, implicitly critiquing protectionist and authoritarian trade measures.

Global Trade Research Initiative released a research paper examining corporate lobbying practices and advocating for increased transparency, including centralized disclosures, regular reviews of trade association memberships, and board-level oversight of political engagement.

Global Trade Research Initiative published a research paper titled 'Corporate lobbying impacts: stakeholder demands for transparency' that highlights the need for clearer reporting on corporate lobbying activities. The paper discusses the significant scale of lobbying expenditures and warns of risks such as regulatory stagnation and policy decisions that stray from the public interest and sustainability commitments.