Trade negotiations

Foreign Affairs proposes a US grand strategy rooted in reciprocity. Foreign Policy assesses international labor policy under the first Trump and Biden administrations, noting backtracking under the second Trump administration. The Wall Street Journal details Trump advancing his trade agenda in Asia and outlines a temporary US-China trade pact. Bloomberg highlights Trump’s new trade deals with Southeast Asian nations. Reuters reports China and ASEAN upgrading their free trade agreement. The New York Times reports China leveraging trade to gain tariff relief while avoiding major concessions. The Financial Times examines the growing shift in US-China power dynamics.

Mentioned publications

A Grand Strategy of Reciprocity – How to Build an Economic and Security Order that Works for America – Oren Cass, Foreign Affairs, October 17, 2025
Oren Cass argues for a US grand strategy rooted in reciprocity, recalibrating trade (and security) policy to counter beggar-thy-neighbor policies that shift productive capacity abroad.
Trump’s Anti-Worker Foreign Policy – Kelly M. Fay Rodriguez, Foreign Policy Op-ed, October 24, 2025
Kelly M. Fay Rodriguez, former US special representative for international labor affairs (2022–2025), evaluates international labor policy under the first Trump and Biden Administrations. It notes backtracking in international agreements by the second Trump Administration.
Trump’s Big Tariff Task in Asia is to Close the Deal – Jason Douglas, Timothy Martin, Shan Li, The Wall Street Journal, October 28, 2025
The Wall Street Journal writes about Trump advancing his trade agenda on his Asia tour, completing talks with Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, and Cambodia, while facing challenges with India, Australia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Many deals remain incomplete or performative, with details and implementation still uncertain, especially with Korea (investment).
The Long Road to a US – China Trade Pact – Gavin Bade and Lingling Wei, The Wall Street Journal, October 30, 2025
The Wall Street Journal details how Sen. Steve Daines helped secure a temporary US-China trade deal, easing fentanyl tariffs in exchange for China limiting fentanyl precursor shipments and purchasing soybeans.
Trumps New Trade Deals Give US an Edge over Southeast Asia – Clair Jiao and Philip Heijmans, Bloomberg, updated October 28, 2025
Bloomberg examines Trump’s new trade agreements with Malaysia and Cambodia, along with frameworks with Thailand and Vietnam. It highlights clear wins for the US, but the benefits for the Southeast Asian nations are less certain, with limited exemptions, unclear rules, and potential costs outweighing gains.
China and ASEAN, hit by US tariffs, sign upgraded free trade pact – Rozanna Latiff and Danial Azhar, Reuters, October 28, 2025
Reuters reports an upgrade to the free trade agreement between China and the 11 ASEAN countries. In 2024, bilateral trade between the two reached $771 billion.
The Art of Letting Trump Claim a Win, While Walking Away Stronger – Lily Kuo and David Pierson, The New York Times, October 30, 2025
The New York Times covers how China leveraged trade in soybeans and rare earths to secure tariff relief and postpone export controls, without offering significant concessions to the US.
HF sponsored access China emerges as US ‘peer rival’ at Xi Jinping-Donald Trump summit – Joe Leahy and Demetri Sevastopulo, Financial Times, October 30, 2025
The Financial Times explains how US-China power dynamics have shifted since Trump took office the first time, with Beijing now ready to anticipate and counter Washington’s efforts to carry out punitive measures and force negotiations.