Donald Trump’s election campaign and first hundred days in office were marked by abrasive rhetoric on trade, in particular blaming free trade agreements for causing economic suffering and unemployment in America. Countries that run large export surpluses with the United States, like Mexico, Germany and China, have drawn the greatest ire. Internationally this has provoked fears of trade wars and the end of the multilateral world trade order. Latin American countries, for whom the United States is a crucial trade partner, are especially concerned. So far, only some of the fears have realised. At the same time, efforts are under way across the world to reduce trade dependency on the United States.
