One year of ‘America First’ trade policy: What did we learn, and what comes next?

Wednesday, January 28, 2026, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Location: The Brookings Institution, Falk Auditorium, 1775 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington, D.C. 20036

On the first day of his second term, President Trump issued a memorandum outlining the administration’s “America First” trade policy priorities. One year later, the administration’s trade actions have significantly altered America’s economic and strategic posture—sometimes in ways that aligned with analysts’ predictions and sometimes not.

On Wednesday, January 28 the Brookings Economic Studies program will host an event to assess what we have learned in the year since the memorandum was released. Trade policymakers, economists, and private-sector experts will examine how the policy has affected economic outcomes, business decisionmaking, diplomatic relationships, and America’s competitive position globally. The program will illuminate which expectations proved accurate, which concerns did not materialize, which unforeseen issues emerged, and what the first year of this agenda suggests for the future of U.S. trade strategy.