Office of the United States Trade Representative

The federal agency responsible for developing and coordinating US international trade policy and leading negotiations with other countries. - Lead US negotiating body

India has been the world's second-largest buyer of Russian oil since 2022, snapping up discounted crude while Western nations sanctioned Moscow. On February 2, 2026, President Donald Trump announced that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had agreed to stop those purchases entirely in exchange for American tariff cuts from 50% to 18%, ending a trade war that had escalated for nearly a year. A US-India Joint Statement released around February 6-9 outlined an Interim Trade Agreement framework, confirming India's intent to purchase $500 billion in US energy, technology, aircraft, and coal over five years; tariff reductions/eliminations on US goods; and US suspension of the additional 25% Russian oil tariff effective February 7 via Executive Order. However, Modi has publicly confirmed only the tariff reduction, Indian refiners received no instructions to halt imports, and the deal lacks full binding enforcement amid shadow logistics risks.

Updated Feb 11

The executive agency responsible for developing and coordinating US international trade policy and negotiations. - Negotiated and signed agreement

Argentina has protected its domestic industries with tariffs and import controls since the 1940s. On February 6, 2026, Buenos Aires signed its first bilateral trade agreement with the United States—eliminating barriers on over 200 categories of American goods and securing tariff relief on 1,675 Argentine products in return.

Updated Feb 7

The principal trade advisory and negotiating body for the United States, responsible for administering AGOA eligibility reviews. - Overseeing AGOA modernization

For a quarter century, the African Growth and Opportunity Act let 32 sub-Saharan African countries ship goods to America duty-free—supporting roughly 1.3 million jobs across the continent. When Congress let the program expire in September 2025, textile workers in Lesotho lost their livelihoods, Kenyan jeans manufacturers laid off a thousand workers, and African governments scrambled to negotiate. Four months later, President Trump signed a one-year extension through December 2026.

Updated Feb 5

The agency responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade policy, including tariff implementation and USMCA negotiations. - Leading tariff negotiations

For three decades, the United States and Canada operated under free trade agreements that made their border the world's busiest commercial crossing, with nearly $2.7 billion in goods flowing between them daily. That era ended on February 1, 2025, when President Trump imposed 25% tariffs on Canadian goods. One year later, America's effective tariff rate has climbed to 16.9%—the highest since the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act deepened the Great Depression in 1932.

Updated Jan 31

The principal trade policy advisor to the President and lead U.S. negotiator for international trade agreements. - Lead U.S. agency for trade negotiations

China posted a $1.2 trillion trade surplus for 2025—the largest any country has ever recorded. The number is roughly equivalent to the GDP of Indonesia, the world's 16th-largest economy. It comes after seven years of U.S. tariffs designed to shrink that very surplus, and eight days after Canada struck a deal with Beijing that slashed Chinese EV tariffs from 100% to 6.1%, marking a dramatic shift in Western trade policy toward China that prompted Trump to threaten 100% retaliatory tariffs on Canadian goods.

Updated Jan 30

The agency managing tariff exemptions, Section 301 exclusions, and trade deal implementation. - Implementing tariff policy and exemptions

In April 2025, average US tariffs hit their highest level since 1943. Nine months later, the global economy is still growing. The IMF's January 2026 World Economic Outlook projects 3.3% global growth—slightly better than feared—as businesses rerouted supply chains, AI investment surged, and a US-China truce pulled tariffs back from their 145% peak.

Updated Jan 21

The executive agency responsible for developing and coordinating U.S. international trade, commodity, and direct investment policy. - Administering tariff policy

For three months, the world's two largest economies operated under a fragile ceasefire. The Trump-Xi trade deal struck in South Korea last October reduced U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods from a peak of 145% to 47%, while China suspended its rare earth export controls. On January 12, Trump imposed a 25% tariff on all countries doing business with Iran—a measure that primarily targets China, which purchases over 90% of Iran's oil exports.

Updated Jan 14