Trump’s law of the jungle means U.S. trade deals aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on, trade expert warns
By Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune
- By dismantling the mechanism that settles international trade disputes, there is no way for countries negotiating with the Trump administration to enforce any bilateral trade agreements. With little incentive to play by the rules, he could simply change the terms of any deal down the road. The best solution would be kicking the U.S. out of the World Trade Organization, argues trade expert Kristen Hopewell from the University of British Columbia, and re-establish the WTO’s Appellate Body, the supreme court for global trade.
When President Trump threatened Brazil with punishing tariffs on Wednesday, there was no fancy mathematical equation trotted out this time as justification.
