The Trump Effect in the Americas in Investment and Trade, from Canada to the Patagonia.

In recent years, U.S. trade and investment policy has undergone a dramatic transformation. From the Trump administration’s renegotiation of NAFTA and exit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership to a surge in unilateral trade actions, these shifts have reverberated across the Western Hemisphere—forcing countries from Canada to the southern tip of Latin America to rethink their economic strategies. This panel will delve into how Latin American nations are responding to a new era of protectionism, evolving regulatory landscapes, and a redefined U.S. role in the region. It will further assess how these policy changes have impacted the negotiation, interpretation, and enforcement of treaty protections, while also considering their broader effects on legal certainty, investor confidence, institutional credibility, and the functioning of dispute resolution mechanisms. Bringing together regional insights and legal perspectives, this discussion will offer a timely and thought-provoking look at how public and private actors are adapting to a global order where traditional trade and investment norms are being rewritten under mounting geopolitical and economic pressures.