concept

U.S. trade policy

Also known as: U.S. trade policy, US trade policy

Facts (12)

Sources

What is Trump's 'America First' trade policy agenda? | Brookings brookings.edu Brookings Jan 21, 2026 7 facts

claimThe U.S. trade policy agenda is cautious about imposing restrictions on economic engagement, such as export controls or investment restrictions, because such constraints could risk undermining U.S. competitiveness.

claimU.S. trade policy measures are deployed with an emphasis on pulling production and capacity into the United States or under U.S. control, rather than being used primarily to facilitate market-determined outcomes.

perspectiveThe 'America First' trade policy represents a step-change in the governing logic of U.S. trade policy, where investigations and reviews serve mainly procedural functions, while executive determinations drive discretionary trade action adjusted primarily through executive judgment rather than predefined legal constraints or international commitments.

accountHistorically, U.S. trade policy permitted tariff adjustments in response to unfair practices, but the use of those measures was tied to the identification of specific policies and calibrated to offset their effects.

claimU.S. trade policy is expected to play a central role in shaping the domestic economy and building bargaining power and leverage across commercial, strategic, and security domains.

claimModern U.S. trade policy is no longer treated primarily as a mechanism for promoting efficiency within a rules-based system or as a narrowly constrained instrument for mitigating discrete security risks.

claimThe current shift in U.S. trade policy represents a departure from the framework that has guided U.S. trade policy for decades.

Tariffs and Democratic Decline: Economic Burdens and Executive ... sciencepublishinggroup.com Science Publishing Group 1 fact

referenceAlberto Cavallo, Gita Gopinath, Brent Neiman, and Jenny Tang analyzed tariff pass-through at both the border and the retail store level in the context of US trade policy.

New research examines the historical macroeconomic effects of ... equitablegrowth.org Washington Center for Equitable Growth Mar 4, 2026 1 fact

claimDen Besten and Kanzig created a 'narrative tariff shock series' dataset by analyzing the motivations behind U.S. trade policy choices from 1860 through the end of the first Trump administration.

The Impact of Trump's Tariffs: A Comprehensive Analysis claconnect.com CLA Feb 23, 2026 1 fact

claimPresident Donald Trump's tariff strategy reshaped U.S. trade policy and international trade dynamics, creating uncertainty for businesses across industries and impacting global supply chains.

Tracking Trump's Trade Deals | Council on Foreign Relations cfr.org Inu Manak, Allison J. Smith · Council on Foreign Relations Mar 17, 2026 1 fact

perspectiveInu Manak, a senior fellow for international trade at the Council on Foreign Relations, argues that the US-UK Economic Prosperity Deal is not a traditional trade agreement but a framework for future talks, representing a new US trade policy approach where deals are subject to constant modification and threats of withdrawal.

USTR initiates Section 301 investigations of 60 US trade partners ... jdsupra.com JD Supra Mar 17, 2026 1 fact

claimSince early 2025, the Trump administration has introduced new policies into US trade policy, including considering whether inadequate wages violate antidumping duty laws, proposing country-wide Section 301 tariffs to pressure countries to improve labor rights, and asking countries to commit to adopting prohibitions on imports of goods made with forced labor in Agreements on Reciprocal Trade (ARTs).