United States President Donald Trump’s fiery rhetoric has increased the salience behind trade imbalances,pushing the United States towards newly-founded trade conflicts.Longstanding unilateral policy measures have been employed at unprecedented levels to ensure the competitiveness of struggling United States industries.However,this imposition of trade barriers flies in the face of traditional neo-liberal theories,and contrasting methods for employing said policy measures from previous instances suggests a systemic shift in economic philosophy for the United States going forward.This thesis seeks an answer to the forces behind this reorganization into a newly mercantilist sentiment,and suggests that this movement has its roots from before Trump’s election.This systemic realization also promotes the idea that these trade measures are the new normal in American politics as the relative position of the United States is threatened by up and coming nations.Ultimately,the United States will seek to reorganize into a more regional structure,while reducing vulnerabilities to economic competitors brought about by an increased proliferation of interdependence.