Trump’s 9 July letter imposing 50% tariffs on Brazilian imports marks a deeply troubling shift in the use of trade policy as a tool of political coercion. Ostensibly justified on US “interests,” the action represents not global leadership, but the behavior of an autocracy in a way that betrays the values of a democratic society, Merle Hinrich writes.
In Round 2 of Liberation Day, Donald Trump sent a flurry of letters to more than 25 countries between 7 and 14 July, dictating new US terms of trade that appear to have no basis in any rationale, unilaterally declared effective 1 August, and promise the world only one thing: continual chaos and uncertainty, Deborah Elms writes.
Negotiating a EU-CPTPP agreement will be fraught and complex on issues like data management, agriculture, energy, and finance for the 39 countries on both sides, but such a partnership would be a major force in global trade and send a sobering message to Beijing and Washington, Keith Rockwell writes.
The National Press Foundation hosts a webinar featuring Dennis Shea, former deputy US trade representative and US ambassador to the WTO, Deborah Elms of the Hinrich Foundation, Jeffrey Schwab of the Liberty Justice Center, and David Lynch of The Washington Post to examine Trump’s tariff policies so far.
The US sets a dangerous precedent with its tariffs on Brazil
Merle A. Hinrich 15 July 2025
Donald Trump’s 9 July letter announcing a 50% tariff on all Brazilian imports marks a deeply troubling shift in the use of trade policy as a tool of political coercion, Hinrich Foundation chairman and founder Merle Hinrich writes. “What is unfolding is not global leadership; it is the behavior of an autocracy. Using trade policy to strong-arm sovereign nations into political compliance betrays the values of a democratic society.”
In Round 2 of Liberation Day, Donald Trump released a series of letters directed to government leaders via social media from 7 July, dictating US terms of trade that he described as “deals” reached on new tariff rates effective 1 August. By the end of the week, more than 25 letters had been sent. Just about the only thing that is clear: chaos remains the order of the day, our Trade Policy Head Deborah Elms writes.
What the EU-CPTPP courtship says about global trade order
Keith Rockwell 15 July 2025
A EU-CPTPP agreement will not emerge overnight. Negotiating issues like data management, agriculture, energy, and finance are politically sensitive and will be complex for the 39 countries on both sides. But such a partnership would be a major force in trade and investment, an incubator for innovation in trade policy, and a catalyst for growth in mature economies – and would send a sobering message to Beijing, Washington, and New Delhi, Senior Research Fellow Keith Rockwell writes.
Last chance to register for this National Press Foundation webinar today, supported by the Hinrich Foundation, featuring a panel of trade experts as they take stock of Trump’s tariff policy. The speakers are:
Dennis Shea, former Deputy US Trade Representative and US Ambassador to the World Trade Organization
Deborah Elms, Head of Trade Policy at the Hinrich Foundation
Jeffrey Schwab, Senior Counsel at the Liberty Justice Center
David Lynch, Global Economics Correspondent of The Washington Post
Trump’s 90-day deadline arrived on 9 July and was met with renewed and enhanced threats to impose reciprocal tariffs. Extraordinary threats were made against Brazil for its handling of former President Bolsonaro, a matter far removed from trade concerns. Likewise, some of America’s closest trading partners face some of the highest tariff levels. Check out what we’ve been reading.
While most of the Southeast Asia's tech ecosystem use AI and machine learning to enhance their operations and services, 16% of ASEAN tech companies formed in 2024 were built on an AI-driven business model where AI is the value driver and differentiator. However, the size of the Southeast Asian tech ecosystem and the scale of firms in it are still quite small. There is work ahead to create an enabling policy environment that enables local startups to gain greater scale and create new jobs. Enter the digital trade deal DEFA, Research Fellow Kati Suominen writes.
Highlights from the International Trade Fellowship 2025
Catch up on more video recaps of this year’s National Press Foundation and Hinrich Foundation joint 2025 International Trade Fellowship here. This week, we have:
Annie White and Sebastian Bustos of Harvard University explained how to use their Atlas of Economic Complexity, a data visualization tool.
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