Protectionism won't lead Trump anywhere

US President Donald Trump has changed the United States' trade policy to resort to trade protectionism, which goes against globalization and trade liberalization. Trump has pulled the US out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership agreement because he believes it could undermine the interests of American workers. The US president also wants to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement and has threatened to withdraw his country from the World Trade Organization.

The Trump administration's actions can be attributed to the president's belief that globalization is responsible for the rising unemployment in the US and the decline of the domestic manufacturing industry. Trump also believes that only trade protectionist policies can help the US middle class flourish.

To reduce the US' trade deficit, especially against China, the Trump administration has adopted a series of trade remedy measures vis-a-vis its trade partners. And it aims to reduce the US' trade deficit with China by also taking trade protectionist measures against other Chinese imports.