Critics of the United States (US) trade policy often argue that America is deeply protectionist. Tariffs on steel, aluminum, and Chinese imports, subsidies for farmers, and new industrial supports like the CHIPS and Science Act are frequently cited as proof that Washington talks free trade but practices favoritism at home. Yet the US is hardly an outlier. Around the world, governments of every stripe have built walls around industries they consider vital, all while demanding open markets abroad.

China is perhaps the most obvious case. Its economic rise has been fuelled by a carefully managed combination of subsidies, currency management, market-entry barriers, and technology-transfer requirements imposed on foreign companies. India, under its “Make in India” agenda, has steadily increased tariffs on cars, electronics, and agricultural products to promote domestic producers. Japan and South Korea, two of Asia’s export powerhouses, continue to guard their agricultural sectors, particularly rice, with tariffs and quotas. Brazil has long been notorious for its high import duties, designed to nurture local industries from automobiles to textiles. Russia, especially since Western sanctions, has embraced import substitution in everything from food to defence. Indonesia uses export restrictions to compel foreign firms to process resources locally, while Turkey maintains protective tariffs and local-content requirements to defend its manufacturing base. Even France and Germany — often portrayed as champions of global rules — quietly shelter their agricultural, energy, and automobile industries under layers of subsidies and regulatory barriers.

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