FOR much of his time in office, Democratic critics lashed out at president Donald Trump for being an economic nationalist, ready to launch trade battles against America’s partners abroad and disregarding multilateral regimes that govern international relations.

Trumpism marked a reversal of the so-called Washington consensus, with its emphasis on openness to foreign trade and investment and on minimising government intervention in the markets as a way of promoting US global economic interests.

Running to replace president Trump in the White House, candidate Joe Biden pledged in 2020 to reverse this inward nationalist trend and asserted his commitment to pursuing an internationalist agenda.