by Ireland Owens
President Donald Trump outlined his trade policy goals this week and emphasized his plan to strengthen “the American economy, the American worker and our national security” during his second term.
Just a few hours after taking it oath on Monday, Trump took office introduced countless broad-based executive actions, including presidential ones memorandum presenting his vision of “America First” trade policy. By reducing American “dependence on other countries,” the president’s policies are intended to promote “investment and productivity” and defend the “economic and national security” of the United States, according to the memorandum.
“Americans benefit and deserve America First trade policies.” Trump wrote. “Therefore, I am establishing a robust and vigorous trade policy that promotes investment and productivity, advances our nation’s industrial and technological advantage, protects our economic and national security, and – above all — benefits American workers, manufacturers, farmers, ranchers, entrepreneurs and businesses”
The president’s trade policy requires federal agencies to provide him with a variety of reports and recommendations by April 1, 2025, including those on “unfair trade practices” from abroad, the reciprocity of existing trade agreements, and an investigation into “economic and national security implications.” stems from the current trade deficit, according to the memorandum.
“As we look at President Trump’s first term, he is not religious about protectionist trade policies or free trade policies,” Andrew Hale, senior policy analyst at the Heritage Foundation, told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “He looks at the bigger picture and is a deal-maker. He wants the best deal for America, and in particular he wants American manufacturing to be great again.”
The US trade deficit remains stable growing for decades, arrival $773.4 billion in 2023 – a deficit also for China has grown to approximately $279.4 billion in the same year. In 2022, the US trade deficit with China was $382.3 billionwhich represents an 8.3% boost over 2021, the year former President Joe Biden took office. China’s recent trade surplus has grown to a record high of $104.84 billion in December 2024 and nearly $1 trillion for the year.
In addition to tackling the trade deficit, Trump’s plan is to reallocate critical U.S. manufacturing, noting in his memorandum that during his first administration he “treated trade policy as a key element of national security.”
Hale similarly warned that outsourcing U.S. manufacturing to other countries such as China remains a potential obstacle, and stressed the need for a “close and friendly” U.S. manufacturing environment.
Despite the assembly worries over national security among China development global impact the United States has continued to do so in recent years outsource jobs and production to the country. Since 2001, the trade deficit with China has cost the US 3.82 million jobs, with 2.89 million jobs lost in the industrial sector, According to to the Coalition for a Prosperous America’s May 2023 report.
USA relies heavily regarding the import of various goods from China, including the import of lithium batteries, computers, smartphones and pharmaceutical drugs. According to the study, China accounted for 4.6%, or $46.7 billion, of U.S. services exports in 2023 and 2.7%, or $20.1 billion, of U.S. services imports. report from the Congressional Research Service published December 2024.
“There are many things we do [the U.S.] what can we do to encourage nearshoring, friendhoring and sourcing intermediate goods from our allies and friends,” Hale told DCNF. “We should not have free trade with foreign adversaries, non-market economies and autocrats like China. It’s just a recipe for disaster.”
Missouri Republican Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, issued a statement: statement on Tuesday praised Trump’s “America First” trade policies, writing that the president “wasted no time demanding better treatment for American workers and businesses, something Americans clearly voted for.” Smith also praised Trump’s “willingness to consider all possible ways to hold China accountable” and limit its ability to “undermine” the U.S. economy.
“For too long, other countries have been free to impose unfair tariffs, taxes and non-tariff barriers on American exports and businesses,” Smith said in a statement. “The success and necessity of existing tariff policies, such as those established under President Trump’s first administration, provide valuable lessons on how we can strategically implement trade policies to sharpen our nation’s competitive advantage, demand greater reciprocal access to foreign markets for U.S. goods and protect our national security.”
Before Trump returns to the Oval Office he promised impose excessive customs duties ON China, Canada AND Mexicoclaiming that these countries are allowing the flow of fentanyl and illegal immigrants into the US. On Trump’s inauguration day threatened to introduce 25% tariffs on imports from Canada and Mexico by February 1. The president’s memorandum built on his earlier comments calling on the Commerce and Homeland Security secretaries to recommend “appropriate trade and national security measures” to address “illegal migration and fentanyl originating from Canada, Mexico, [People’s Republic of China]”
During his first presidency, Trump increased tariffs regarding goods imported from China, starting a dispute trade war between both countries in 2018
Chinese officials, including the Chinese president Xi Jinpingrepeatedly warned USA Against Reignition a trade warChinese Vice Prime Minister Ding Xuexiang he said on Tuesday that there will be “no winners” in the fresh trade dispute between America and China.
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Ireland Owens is a reporter with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
