Bilateralism - A radical shift in US trade policy: What will it mean for agricultural trade?

The shift in US trade policy away from an exclusive reliance on the multilateral institutions to a multifaceted approach that include multilateral, regional and bilateral initiatives has the potential to lead the process of trade liberalization. There is a fear that this multi-pronged approach will enable the US to make greater use of its economic muscle in negotiations than was possible in the past, which could lead to less liberalization in certain sectors such as agriculture.