Knowledge Tree
Council on Foreign Relations
Also known as: CFR
Facts (44)
Sources
Tracking Trump's Trade Deals | Council on Foreign Relations cfr.org Mar 17, 2026 15 facts
perspectiveInu Manak, a CFR senior fellow for international trade, stated that the U.S.-Guatemala Agreement demonstrates an evolving approach to existing U.S. Free Trade Agreement partners by layering disciplines on top of congressionally approved trade agreements, which contrasts with the South Korea deal that ignored the KORUS agreement entirely.
quoteDavid Sacks, a CFR fellow for Asia studies, stated: “The conclusion of a U.S.-Taiwan Reciprocal Trade Agreement is good news. In theory, it should add some stability and predictability to the U.S.-Taiwan trade relationship and encourage closer economic ties. At the same time, this agreement is unlikely to resolve the simmering issues between the two sides. Taiwan’s bilateral trade surplus with the United States is set to continue to increase, differences over reshoring remain, and questions about the value of Taiwan’s currency are growing. Whether the two sides can find common ground on these thorny issues will be a difficult task.”
perspectiveSheila A. Smith, CFR John E. Merow senior fellow for Asia-Pacific studies, stated: “How [Japan’s investment commitment] will be directed, and by whom, remains unclear.”
perspectiveWill Freeman, a Council on Foreign Relations fellow for Latin America studies, argues that El Salvador will likely benefit less from the U.S.-El Salvador Agreement on Reciprocal Trade than Argentina or Ecuador will from their respective deals, noting that the agreement may weaken CAFTA-DR and encourage other members to seek bilateral deals with the Trump administration.
perspectiveWill Freeman, a Council on Foreign Relations fellow for Latin America studies, stated that the trade deal with Argentina is likely to boost U.S. exports of chemicals, medicines, IT products, cars, and agricultural goods, as well as Argentine exports of beef and minerals, but noted that the economic security provisions may complicate Argentina's relationship with China and risk increasing frustration among U.S. farmers and ranchers.
perspectiveJoshua Kurlantzick, a Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow for Southeast Asia and South Asia, stated: "President Donald Trump’s tariffs and broader U.S. policy could exacerbate several of Thailand’s economic challenges and accelerate the kingdom’s strategic realignment toward China."
perspectiveJoshua Kurlantzick, a CFR senior fellow, stated that Vietnam is likely the middle-income economy most endangered by the Trump administration’s tariff policies because it runs the third-largest trade surplus with the U.S. and assembles items using Chinese components for export.
perspectiveMatthias Matthijs, CFR senior fellow for Europe, stated that the EU framework trade deal with the U.S. entrenches Europe's dependence on the United States in the short term, particularly in energy and defense, but could catalyze a more autonomous and balanced relationship over the next decade.
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.
claimJoshua Kurlantzick, a Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow for Southeast Asia and South Asia, stated that the United States holds significant leverage over many ASEAN members because those nations are highly dependent on the U.S. market.
perspectiveWill Freeman, a Council on Foreign Relations fellow for Latin America studies, stated that the trade deal will boost flows of Ecuadorean bananas, cocoa, and coffee to the United States and reduce barriers to U.S. machinery, health products, ICT goods, and chemicals, though it may complicate Ecuador’s relations with China.
perspectiveJoshua Kurlantzick, CFR senior fellow for Southeast Asia and South Asia, stated: “The Indonesia deal commits Jakarta to roll back a number of significant nontariff barriers in a move that defies its traditionally protectionist approach … while Jakarta, Manila, and Tokyo have taken home what they portray as tariff ‘wins,’ their deals are massively unpopular with their respective publics.”
claimInu Manak, a Council on Foreign Relations senior fellow for international trade, stated that Switzerland is "breathing a sigh of relief" due to a substantially lower tariff rate under the agreement.
perspectiveInu Manak, a CFR senior fellow for international trade, argues that the U.S.-North Macedonia framework agreement contains vague commitments and that the prospect of zero tariffs only applies to limited cases, resulting in no real improvement in market access to the United States.
perspectiveMichael Froman, president of the Council on Foreign Relations, stated that the Trump administration appears to view the Malaysia trade framework as a template to patch holes in unilateral U.S. export controls and tariffs by enlisting willing partners as co-custodians of a common set of national-security trade tools.
Media Coverage - News Center - Baruch College newscenter.baruch.cuny.edu 8 facts
accountCarla Anne Robbins provided reporting for the Council on Foreign Relations on February 1, 2023, regarding President Biden’s border policies.
claimCarla Anne Robbins was featured in the Council on Foreign Relations on August 22, 2023, regarding responses to extreme global heat.
accountCarla Anne Robbins appeared on the Council on Foreign Relations 'The World Next Week' podcast on February 2, 2023, to discuss President Biden’s State of the Union address, Blinken’s visit to China, and the EU ban on Russian petroleum products.
claimCarla Anne Robbins wrote an article for the Council on Foreign Relations titled 'Reporting on Supply Chains and Inflation' on December 14, 2021.
claimCarla Anne Robbins contributed to a Council on Foreign Relations piece titled 'New Frontiers of Local News' on December 17, 2024.
claimCarla Anne Robbins reported on LGBTQ+ issues for the Council on Foreign Relations on December 13, 2022.
claimCarla Anne Robbins discussed what to watch in 2023 for the Council on Foreign Relations on December 22, 2022.
claimCarla Anne Robbins authored an article for the Council on Foreign Relations titled 'The World Next Week: What to Read This Summer' on June 18, 2021.
The U.S.-China Trade Relationship | Council on Foreign Relations cfr.org Oct 31, 2025 6 facts
perspectiveJennifer Hillman, a CFR Senior Fellow for Trade and International Political Economy, states that Beijing has perfected a model of obtaining Western technology, using it to develop domestic companies into giants, and then unleashing them into the world market where foreign companies can no longer compete.
perspectiveFormer Secretary of Commerce and CFR distinguished fellow Gina Raimondo argues that funding domestic innovation is more effective for maintaining U.S. global competitiveness than implementing export controls on China.
claimIn 2024, economists including Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Brad W. Setser described a renewed surge of Chinese exports in electric vehicles, solar panels, and other green technologies as the “second China shock.”
perspectiveCFR Senior Fellow for China Studies Zongyuan Zoe Liu writes that the economic reality of the US-China relationship 'underscores the futility of decoupling efforts' by Washington and Beijing.
perspectiveCFR Fellow for Trade Policy Inu Manak states that tariffs largely fail to divert trade away from China in a global economy because China moves production to other countries, leading the United States to purchase Chinese goods from other trade partners like Mexico and Vietnam.
perspectiveCFR fellows Jennifer Hillman and Inu Manak argue that U.S.-led changes to international rules on subsidies would provide the United States with a powerful tool to address concerns regarding competition with China.
Power Transition in the Middle East: The Intersection of US Global ... populismstudies.org Mar 15, 2026 3 facts
claimThe Council on Foreign Relations reported that the Gaza Board of Peace met on February 19, 2026.
claimThe Council on Foreign Relations published a guide to the Gaza peace deal, specifically referencing a twenty-point plan attributed to Donald Trump, on February 24, 2026.
referenceThe Council on Foreign Relations noted that the Board of Peace relied heavily on participation from Gulf Arabs and Central Asians while excluding direct Palestinian political representation at the highest levels of decision-making.
Strategic Rivalry between United States and China swp-berlin.org 3 facts
referenceA June 13, 2019, conversation with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hosted by the Council on Foreign Relations and a December 5, 2018, Forbes article by Kenneth Rapoza discuss the political stance of the United States Democratic Party toward the Chinese government.
referenceLindsay Maizland authored an article titled 'Is China Undermining Human Rights at the United Nations?' published by the Council on Foreign Relations on July 9, 2019.
referenceLindsay Maizland authored a brief for the Council on Foreign Relations on July 9, 2019, questioning whether China is undermining human rights at the United Nations.
Geopolitics of Trump Tariffs: How U.S. Trade Policy Has Shaken Allies cfr.org Sep 10, 2025 3 facts
claimThe Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) conducted a joint analysis examining the geopolitical effects of the Trump administration's tariff policies on U.S. alliances with Canada, the European Union, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
claimThe Council on Foreign Relations is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher that does not take institutional positions on policy matters.
claimThe article 'Geopolitics of Trump Tariffs: How U.S. Trade Policy Has Shaken Allies' represents the views and opinions solely of the authors, not the Council on Foreign Relations.
We Bombed the Wrong Target Iran's Proxy Network Strategy irregularwarfare.org Mar 10, 2026 2 facts
claimThe Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) noted in a post-strike assessment that the threat from Iranian proxies manifested immediately following strikes, occurring before any damage assessment of Iran's nuclear sites could be completed.
quoteElliott Abrams of the Council on Foreign Relations stated: “It would not be unreasonable for Iranian officials to assume that diplomacy was a mere ruse before the bombs fell.”
Emerging Technology and Irregular Warfare: Launching a New ... irregularwarfare.org Feb 2, 2026 1 fact
accountKristina Kempkey has contributed to research with the Council on Foreign Relations and West Point regarding national security and military strategy.
Energy asset stranding in resource-rich developing countries and ... frontiersin.org Jun 10, 2024 1 fact
referenceSivaram V. and Harris J. M. (2016) published 'Sustaining Fuel Subsidy Reform' through the Council on Foreign Relations, focusing on the challenges of maintaining energy subsidy policies.
What Is the Iran Nuclear Deal? | Council on Foreign Relations cfr.org 1 fact
perspectiveRay Takeyh of the Council on Foreign Relations and Reuel Marc Gerecht of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies argue that promoting democracy in Iran would be more beneficial to the U.S. government than attempting to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions.
Beyond “Maximum Pressure” in US Policy on Iran: Leveraging ... mei.edu Jan 30, 2025 1 fact
referenceKali Robinson published a backgrounder titled 'What Is the Iran Nuclear Deal?' for the Council on Foreign Relations on October 27, 2023.