The America First (America is the first) that Donald Trump promoted in his campaign in 2016 has been consolidated as the way to do trade with the United States. Protecting American products against those of other countries or regions has become the golden rule for the economic powerhouse. Always on the defensive, Trump has sought to tip the balance in his favor through harsh tariffs or sanctions, even for his country's long-standing allies. Far has been openness, the evolution of free trade and multilateral approaches to expand trade.
The reduction of some tariffs to the European Union is only an opening gesture, but nothing indicates that it is a radical change of direction. Before the presidential elections on November 3, the protectionist policy of the United States shows no signs of taking a Copernican turn. Trump maintains within his campaign slogans the idea that the Made in America trade comes first .
Even if the Democratic candidate, Joe Biden, wins the November elections, his government program provides for a nationalist approach to production and consumption. Both candidates have clung to the idea that the path of the economy is aimed at securing the future of American workers and businesses, rather than returning to the scene of big trade deals.
But when looking for its great rival, the United States does not look across the Atlantic. The open front of the commercial war is with China. There Trump has imposed tariffs and mercilessly accused Chinese companies of engaging in unfair practices. The toughest side of protectionism is seen there with blockades, fines, very high tariffs and bans. In the rest of the world it has made some allies, but always with the intention of putting the interests of America first. Trump boasts as a trophy of his trade policy, for example, the Free Trade Agreement with Mexico and Canada, which entered into force on July 1.
The negotiation of this agreement was marked by tension and the constant threat of imposing tariffs on the other two countries. With Robert Lighthizer as a trade representative, the Republican president opted for a trade policy in which both Mexico and Canada had to adapt to the demands of the White House. The agreement, ultimately, sought to encourage US companies to stay in the country, at the same time that it proposed a commercial fence in North America to boost the region as a competitive bloc against other economies.