Trump's trade policy is self-defeating
The process of boosting American economic and military might at the expense of competing national powers has resulted in blurring the lines between national security and trade policy
IT IS true that notwithstanding its stated commitment to liberalising the international trade system, US policy has on many occasions violated its pro-free trade rhetoric and turned to the protectionist direction.
Both Republican and Democratic administrations launched long and costly trade wars against some of their partners across the Pacific and the Atlantic, including by imposing tariffs on their imports, and in particular in response to the rise of Japan and Germany as economic powerhouses.
Moreover, American administrations have employed the nation's economic might as part of an effort to force adversaries and even allies to reverse their policies that seemed not to align with US national interests.
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