Trading Roles

Just as the US did not fulfill its expected role as the defender of free trade during the Uruguay Round, developing countries did not play their accustomed role as opponents of the multilateral trading regime. America’s role as hegemon in the trading regime changed during the late 1970s and 1980s, reconstructing its identity and interests in the trading regime. Whereas America’s liberal trade policies had underpinned the trading regime since WWII, it adopted generally egoistic behavior during this period. At the same time, it began to focus more exclusively on developing regional trading relationships with Canada and Mexico where its interaction was greater, rather than focusing on the multilateral trade regime.