The following are quotes from the many articles that have appeared recently discussing Trump, global trade, national security, the WTO, U.S. trade policy, China and foreign policy — seen through the prism of the current U.S. presidential race. To me, I find them particularly succinct. They highlight the broad and disturbing aspects of geopolitics and trade as we enter a new presidential election in the United States. The way these issues will play out will have immense impact on corporations as well as both the United States and the global system.

• “(O)ne going back to the 1980s has been his (Trump’s) conviction that the United States has been shafted by allies on trade, immigration and security.” “Disdain of U.S. Alliances.” New York Times (Feb. 16, 2024).

• “A second Trump term would see American unilateralism on steroids.” “American Unilateralism,” Financial Times (Feb. 13, 2024).

• “(A) second Trump administration will not only be fired by a desire for revenge and a radicalized Republican party. It will also inherit from Biden a state machinery schooled o a much darker view of the world than which Obama bequeathed to Trump.” “America’s Economic Security.” Financial Times (March 5, 2024).

• “In this new environment, the success or failure of foreign policymaking increasingly depends on corporate decision-making.” “Geopolitics and Corporations.” Foreign Affairs” (March 11, 2024).

• “(U)”nless Washington recovers its commitment to a rules-based trading system, the organization (WTO) it painstakingly helped build over half a century to police international commerce will prove irrelevant to the new global challenges.” “World Trade Organization.” Washington Post March 4, 2024).

• “At the top of my worry list for a second term (for Trump): an even more aggressively protectionist approach to trade.” “Economic Impact and Trump 2.0.” New York Times (Feb. 29, 2024).

• “The main headwind for the global trading system has come in the form of a breakdown of the WTO’s dispute resolution system. .” “China and World Trade.” Financial Times (Feb. 27, 2024).

• “The world has shifted away from decades of emphasizing private competition and has plunged into a new era of competitive policy.” “Bidenomics” New York Times (Feb. 29, 2024).

• “(The recent filing of a Section 301 case by labor in the U.S. International Trade Commission as to China’s subsidies to its ship building sector has) the potential to reignite the U.S.-China trade conflict, but it will also increase the focus on China’s military might and the massive commercial shipping industry that underpins it.” “Shipping as the New Battleground in the US-China Trade War.” Financial Times (March 13, 2024).

• “Everyone knows the Trump-Biden election campaign is going to be nasty, brutish and not short enough, but the unknown is how much policy damage it will do. One unfolding example is the fiasco of self-destructive opposition to Nippon Steel’s proposed acquisition of U.S. Steel. The American political consensus used to be that foreign investment is a sign of U.S. economic strength and a source of good-paying jobs …. But now they’re targeting even investment in U.S. manufacturing from friendly countries.” “Nippon Steel Fiasco.” Wall Street Journal (March 15, 2024). “

• (The new ‘Washington Consensus’) calls for a mix of tariffs and subsidies to support domestic industries … Freewheeling global trade helped lower consumer prices but at the expense of U.S. workers and national security.” “Retreating Further on Free Trade.” Wall Street Journal (March 17, 2024).

• “The Biden administration has reasserted the role of the state in the US economy: subsidizing strategic industries, rethinking trade relations and rebooting competition policy.” “America and Industrial Policy.” Financial Times (Match 17, 2024).

• “There is a pattern. The deep-seated US aversion to subjecting its domestic laws to international institutions or foreign courts is the same US exceptionalism that explains American hostility to the WTO’s judicial function. It also explains America’s refusal to join the International Criminal Court and other international bodies.” “When the US Fell out of Love with Geneva.” Hinrich Foundation (March 19, 2024).

• “An American president opposing investment by a staunch ally (Nippon Steel) in a US manufacturing company (US Steel) is a sign that protectionism has run amok. What Biden should be focused on instead is the long-term prosperity of the American people. Nippon’s acquisition of US Steel would benefit the economy broadly and the working class specifically.” “Protectionism is Running Amok in the US.” Financial Times (March 18, 2024).

• “The TixTox legislation sailed through the House … (A) court would require judges to weigh national security … The U.S. has long restricted foreign ownership in radio, television …. A federal court ruled against Commerce Dept. efforts to ban TikTok during the Trump administration (under the International Economics Powers Act) … Similar legislation unfolded when the Trump administration sought to ban WeChat.” “TixTox Ban and Free Speech.” Wall Street Journal (March 19, 2024).