The United States’ neighbors seem eager to avoid a major trade-and-tariff standoff with Washington as Donald Trump returns to the White House, but Beijing is readying for round two after trading blows with the Republican president during his first administration.
Though Trump has long expressed support for tariffs, he set off an international firestorm this week with his Day One plans to shake up trade relations with key economic partners.
“On January 20th, as one of my many first Executive Orders, I will sign all necessary documents to charge Mexico and Canada a 25% Tariff on ALL products coming into the United States, and its ridiculous Open Borders,” Trump announced this week.
Trump overthrew Republican free trade orthodoxy during the 2016 primary, criticizing foreign trade practices for which he blamed the outsourcing of American jobs.
His first administration witnessed the renegotiation of key trade deals with neighboring nations, notably the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) that replaced the old North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).
He also attempted trade negotiations with China and imposed tariffs on several major industries, though his efforts did not result in the same sort of landmark trade agreement as with Mexico and Canada.
On the 2024 campaign trail, Trump made tariffs a central fixture of his economic pitch, vowing to win back American jobs and bolster domestic production through taxes on foreign imports. He also promised to use them as leverage to secure cooperation from other nations on key issues like immigration.
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