Where Is US Trade Policy Headed Under the Trump Administration?

Abstract

The anti-globalisation rhetoric of candidate Donald Trump's election campaign has shaped the trade policy of the new Administration. Bilateralism is the favoured approach but unilateral measures have also been taken to pursue the protectionist agenda. A number of trade policy actions have focused on China, inducing a trade war. The unrelenting opposition by the US to appointments to vacancies in the Appellate Body has caused a crisis in the WTO and given rise to doubts on its commitment to the rules based multilateral trading system.