President-elect Trump has taken an​​ opening shot at rewriting the global economic order with his threats of tariffs against Mexico and Canada, as well as China and other BRICS countries. While the announcements have triggered a fierce debate about the pros and cons of tariffs, the incoming president’s willingness to pursue both tariffs and deals creates an opportunity to rewrite international economics to put U.S. and allied national security at the center.

During his first term, President-elect Trump, though often portrayed as a unilateralist, demonstrated a willingness to strike trade deals and work with partners. These included the U.S.-Mexico-Canada (USMCA) trade deal, a digital trade agreement with Japan, and changes to the U.S.-Korea FTA. He built international coalitions to tackle security challenges posed by China, for example, persuading European governments to reduce their use of Chinese-made telecommunications equipment, making them less susceptible to espionage and cyber-attacks from Beijing. His administration also supported programs like the Three Seas Initiative to strengthen economic and security ties in Central and Eastern Europe.

President-elect Trump’s tariff threats give his team the opportunity to sit down at the negotiating table to pursue new types of deals that advance American and allied security interests. But rather than traditional FTAs that focus on opening up markets across all sectors, the incoming team should leverage the threat of tariffs to advance a U.S. economic security agenda that would strengthen supply chains, promote an allied........

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