Will free traders in Washington step up?

AMERICA’S partners around the world welcomed the entry of one of Washington’s leading internationalist figures to the White House in 2021 after the fights over security and trade policies with the economic nationalist who had occupied the Oval Office for the preceding four years.

And when it came to core foreign policy issues President Joe Biden has abandoned the unilateralist approach of his predecessor, pursuing a diplomatic strategy based on working together with US allies. But then when it comes to trade policy, Biden has failed to embrace the same kind of effective multilateralist approach demonstrated by his success in building a diplomatic coalition in response to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

As a presidential candidate, Biden pledged to improve on former President Donald Trump’s protectionist policies by strengthening trade ties with America’s Asian and European allies. But it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to suggest that Biden’s current trade policies have mirrored those of his predecessor by embracing a protectionist agenda.