Trade Policy News
Follow developments in American trade policy, from free trade agreements to protectionist measures, with reporting and conservative analysis.
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opinion
Trump’s Trade Czar Details Monitoring of Chinese Compliance With Phase One Deal
When U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer testified before the House Ways and Means and Senate Finance committees last month on the Trump administration’s trade policies, much of the discussion was focused on the progress of the Phase One Economic and Trade Agreement with China. Lighthizer was able to shed some light on how his agency… -
news
Amid Impeachment Trial, Trump Signs Major Trade Deal With Canada, Mexico
President Donald Trump has signed the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement, the trade deal replacing the Clinton-era North American Free Trade Agreement, keeping a key campaign promise on trade that strayed somewhat from Republican tradition. “This is something we really put our heart into,” Trump said at the bill-signing ceremony Wednesday on the South Lawn outside the White… -
opinion
US-China Trade Deal Is a Welcome First Step
President Donald Trump and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He on Wednesday signed Phase 1 of the U.S.-China Economic and Trade Agreement. The long-awaited deal is the result of two years of tough trade negotiations between Washington and Beijing. Over this period, new taxes have been placed on hundreds of billions of traded goods across the… -
opinion
What You Need to Know About New US-China Trade Deal
Will the new deal boost the American economy? Is it normal for a trade deal to demand one party spend a certain amount? Will it curb China’s theft of intellectual property from U.S. companies? Riley Walters, a policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation who focuses on Asia’s economy and technology, has answers. Read a lightly… -
news
House Votes Overwhelmingly to Pass US-Mexico-Canada Trade Deal
The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed President Donald Trump's trade deal with Mexico and Canada on Thursday, just one day after it voted to impeach him. The United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, which sets rules for moving products among the three countries, passed with a vote of 385-41. The Senate will be able to vote to ratify the… -
opinion
White House Enters Into Hopeful ‘Phase 1’ of China Trade Deal
President Donald Trump announced on Friday he has reached a tentative trade deal with Chinese negotiators. This deal, labeled “phase one” of possibly two or three phases, is supposed to be finalized and signed next month when Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Santiago, Chile. As an immediate part of the deal, the… -
opinion
Toward a Freer Trade Deal With Canada and Mexico
The United States should be doing all it can to maintain a strong economy while protecting Americans’ wallets and jobs. One significant way to help inoculate the economy from a slowdown—and to make it hum along even faster—is more free trade. Trade issues aren’t just the concern of policy wonks—they’re critical to the American way… -
opinion
Why Strong Intellectual Property Laws Abroad Require a Strong US Example
China has failed to respect intellectual property rights for decades, and U.S. businesses have suffered. Thankfully, those companies are getting help from the Trump administration. In late 2017, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and other leading business advocates asked the Trump administration to elevate the issue of trade secret protections in trade talks with other… -
news
Trump Won’t Use Hong Kong Protests as ‘Leverage’ in China Trade Talks
President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that Chinese President Xi Jinping has the ability to ensure that chaotic protests in Hong Kong are resolved in a “humane way” and that the situation in the Chinese territory won’t be a factor in ongoing trade talks between the two countries. Tens of thousands of freedom protesters in… -
opinion
US-China Talks at G-20 Unlikely to End Trade Disputes
President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, are set to meet on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Osaka, Japan, this weekend. The two will try to unpack what’s going on in the U.S.-China trade dispute, why negotiations have become difficult, and how the two sides can come to a… -
opinion
Obstacles to a Trade Deal Come From Both Beijing and Washington
It’s been almost two years since the U.S. and China entered negotiations, and those talks are still dragging on. No one knows the true progress of these talks except for what’s been reported through anonymous sources, or the occasional update from the White House. But as things stand, the talks have not sufficed to stave… -
opinion
US-China Trade Dispute Is Already Hurting US Farmers and Ranchers
The ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute is threatening the U.S. economy as a whole, and is hurting American farmers and ranchers. In recent years, China has been among the top two largest markets for U.S. agricultural exports. And much more potential for increased exports remains. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has said that “China offers our… -
opinion
With Deadline Looming, Can US-China Trade Deal Get Done?
Are President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping ever going to make a trade deal? Can they make a deal? According to the White House, the two sides are still far apart on outstanding issues, such as fair access to Chinese markets. Unless a deal, or even an extension, is made before March 2,… -
opinion
It’s Time to Make a Trade Deal With China
As American and Chinese delegations wrap up trade talks Thursday in Washington, the official word is that U.S. negotiators have articulated where they want China to make reforms. Unofficially, though, questions remain over how the White House perceives the future of U.S.-China economic relations, and how this might upset trade negotiations. So where are the… -
opinion
Podcast: The Trade Deal’s Overlooked Liberal Policies
There’s a lot to like about the new United States-Canada-Mexico trade deal (also known as the USMCA), says Tori Whiting of The Heritage Foundation. But there’s also some elements that should give conservatives pause, such as minimum wage requirements and liberal social policies on sexual orientation and gender identity. Whiting joins us to explain what’s… -
opinion
US and China Make Successful Start on New Trade Negotiations
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping made progress Saturday night toward resolving the ongoing U.S.-China trade dispute. After more than a year of conflict and new taxes on billions of cross-border trade, the two presidents came to an agreement at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that could begin de-escalating U.S.-China trade… -
opinion
China’s ‘Economic’ Losses Aren’t Because of US Trade Success
China’s economic growth has been slowing down, but it was slowing down before President Donald Trump entered the White House, and it will continue to slow down, regardless of whether the U.S.-China trade dispute continues or not. Supporters of the administration’s trade policy often cite the decline in China’s largest stock market, the Shanghai Stock… -
news
What You Need to Know About the New Trade Deal
This is a transcript of an interview on the Oct. 2 Daily Signal podcast. Katrina Trinko: So, before we break out the champagne and start a chorus of USMCA, we’re bringing in The Heritage Foundation’s Tori Whiting, who is the Jay Van Andel trade economist, to talk to us about this deal and why it… -
news
The Daily Signal Podcast: A First Look at the USMCA Trade Deal
Is the new United States Mexico Canada Agreement better than the North American Free Trade Agreement? The Heritage Foundation’s Tori Whiting joins us to discuss the new North American trade deal President Donald Trump hawked Monday, and what the next steps are. Plus: Kanye West tells the truth about the left on “Saturday Night Live.”… -
opinion
It’s Time for a Trade Deal With Taiwan
Taiwan and the United States have always been natural partners. Both are committed to free markets, the rule of law, and democracy. Yet due to China’s constant and growing impositions, the U.S.-Taiwan relationship has not reached its full potential. The two nations have enjoyed a long history of economic cooperation, but there is much more…