ABAC meeting urges Washington to stop destructive trade policies

By Anthony Moretti

Lead: The international business community has had enough of Washington's trade wars, and it said so, loudly, in Mexico City.

The APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) concluded its most recent gathering with a pointed statement: Certain leaders need to stop disrupting global trade.

The meeting, which took place in Mexico City, included corporate leaders from almost two dozen economies, a point that underscored just how concerned the international business community is about the destructive policies being pursued by certain governments. The economies represented at the meeting, including China, account for roughly 60% of the world's GDP. The symbolism and substance of ABAC's message, in other words, cannot be dismissed as mere handwringing.

ABAC 2026 Chair Li Fanrong noted that a "critical inflection point" has arrived in global trade, requiring "decisive, collective action to restore stability" that would "set a clear path toward sustainable [economic] goals."

What ABAC's leaders are looking for should come as no surprise: the free flow of goods and services throughout the Asia-Pacific region, a goal that would benefit billions of people. Simply put, tariffs must go, and free trade must prevail.

Mexico is an important example of that commitment. Earlier this year, the International Trade Administration (ITA), part of the U.S. Department of Commerce, said America's southern neighbor was enjoying "steady growth driven by exports and foreign investment." The ITA added that "Mexico is a large, diversified market with ample opportunities for most U.S. products and services."

Yet the White House seems determined to cripple that positive assessment. In 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump announced 25% tariffs on most imports from Mexico and later threatened to raise those tariffs to 30%. Roughly 80% of Mexico's exports go to the U.S., meaning the pressure on the Mexican economy is significant.

If that were not enough, Reuters reported recently that U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told leaders of Mexico's auto and steel industries that Washington had zero interest in removing tariffs on those sectors.

The Mexico City meetings gave the Mexican government an important opportunity to align publicly with ABAC's goals. One of Mexico's former ambassadors to China told a Chinese news network that he saw no reason why his country would suffer from an economic pivot toward the Asia-Pacific region, as Mexico was seeking better economic opportunities worldwide and not confrontation with the U.S. in the Western Hemisphere.

Mexico also cannot ignore the fiscal pressures mounting in the U.S., which refuses to rein in its dangerous national deficit. The U.S. national debt now exceeds $39 trillion, and economists have repeatedly warned that the country's fiscal trajectory is unsustainable.

Those concerns predate the U.S. joining Israel in launching attacks against Iran. By one estimate, U.S. taxpayers are already committed to $31 billion — a figure rising by roughly $7.3 million each hour — because of that conflict.

Setting aside what a responsible outlay of $31 billion over the past two months might have meant domestically, Trump is seeking $1.5 trillion for the Department of Defense for the next fiscal year. Critics who contend the U.S. is now engaged in perpetual war have a strong case to make. So, too, do those who recognize that the country is on an unsustainable economic path.

The contrast between Washington's approach to the world order and China's determination to uphold it grows more apparent by the day. Tough questions about globalization deserve to be asked; China, however, remains resolute that globalization does far more good than harm for countries large and small. Whether reflected in lifting people out of poverty or lowering the cost of everyday goods, globalization remains a force for good.

It is China that maintains fidelity with global norms. It is China that consistently endorses the value of high-quality development at home and abroad. It is China that supports critical international institutions such as the United Nations.

Just last year, President Luigi Gambardella of ChinaEU, which supports boosting trade between China and Europe in the digital arena, wrote on this very website that "in an age when technology defines the hierarchy of power, China has chosen to embed innovation within a sense of shared responsibility, showing that progress and cooperation are not opposites, and that leadership must also inspire."

Note some of those key words: shared responsibility, progress and cooperation, and leadership. Now ask yourself when such ideas last entered your thinking as you considered the trade war and military path from which Washington refuses to step away.

The men and women who lead in politics, economics and other industries are stewards, not owners, of those domains. Those who act ethically understand that peace and stability today will mean a better world tomorrow. China regularly affirms its commitments to poverty alleviation, climate change, fostering peace and supporting dialogue among countries. ABAC officials know China will be an ally in setting that clear path toward sustainable economic goals.

Anthony Moretti is an associate professor in the Department of Communication and Organizational Leadership at Robert Morris University in the U.S. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Robert Morris University.