Trade and Security: The Challenge of U.S. Neoprotectionism to the Multilateral Trading System

Abstract

The limits imposed by the multilateral trading system on its members for applying protectionist policies are intended to safeguard the free trade practices that were promoted for decades under neoliberal globalization. Donald Trump's assumption of the U.S. presidency (2017-2021) marked a break from this understanding, which continued under the Biden administration. The world’s leading power circumvented the rules and procedures of the World Trade Organization (WTO) by, among other things, resorting to an arbitrary interpretation of the regulatory framework to impose import restrictions. To this end, it invoked alleged "national security threats" and relied on internal regulations dating back to the Cold War era, while simultaneously blocking the institutional mechanisms available to WTO members to protect their rights. This article examines these actions in light of the relationship between trade and security on the international stage, considering both the historical context and the implications of this issue at a critical moment for the multilateral system.