Economy & Trade

Policy Priorities

Tax Relief for America’s Middle Class
Incentivize Job Creation for American Workers
Promote Wage Growth
Incentivize Onshoring
Ensure Access to Capital

The economic success of the nation is driven by the individual will and genius of free men and women aspiring to achieve their dreams and further prosperity for themselves and their families. Our nation declared its independence in part because of a system of commerce that did not put the prosperity of Americans first and hindered, rather than embraced, the individual aspirations of Americans. In establishing a new Nation, our Founding Fathers sought to unleash the power of entrepreneurship and free enterprise so that Americans “who are possessed of the spirit of Commerce—who see and who will pursue their advantages, may achieve almost anything”.

For years, the D.C. and global corporate elites, in the name of free trade orthodoxy, allowed markets and market efficiencies to be an overwhelming influence on policy decisions. Nowhere was that more evident than in the realm of international trade relations, where the United States repeatedly entered into deals that protected and promoted the interests of foreign workers, foreign agriculture, and foreign businesses — but not our own. American workers and American communities were ground beneath the inescapable “progress” that transformed the likes of Shenzhen and Reynosa into productive powerhouses — while the likes of Detroit, Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Pittsburgh — America’s industrial backbone — slid into decline. Free trade is an intrinsic good, but only if it is also fair trade, and the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) will advance policies that champion free and fair American trade.

The America First Policy Institute’s Economy & Trade is dedicated to advancing public policy that puts the prosperity of American citizens first, to restoring and preserving the American free enterprise system, to defending American workers and their families, to promoting growth that lifts up forgotten communities, and to celebrating the innovative spirit of the American people. It is through this spirit—when Americans are free to pursue and achieve their dreams—that American prosperity reached unprecedented heights and will continue to achieve more than ever thought possible. Economy & Trade will endeavor to research and educate the American public on policy grounded in the fundamental ideal that free Americans prosper.

CLICK TO READ THE TOP AMERICA FIRST ACTIONS TO UNLEASH AMERICAN PROSPERITY

Team

The Honorable Larry Kudlow

Chair of the Board and Chair, American Prosperity

The Honorable Robert Lighthizer

Chair, American Trade

Jeff Schlagenhauf

Director, Economy and Trade Policy

Jill Homan

Deputy Director, Economy & Trade, Campaign Director, and Senior Advisor to the President & CEO

Steve Moore

Senior Fellow

Kenzo Takeda

Policy Analyst, Economy and Trade

Jay Menees, Ph.D.

Senior Policy Analyst, Higher Education and Economy & Trade Policy

Latest

Op-Ed | April 15, 2026

Working Families Tax Cuts Are Helping Restore the American Dream

For generations, the American Dream meant something simple: if you worked hard, played by the rules, and invested in your family, you could get ahead. The Trump Administration’s tax reforms reflect that basic principle, and it’s showing up in New Mexicans’ budgets, in paychecks and tax returns.

Statement | April 15, 2026

AFPI Celebrates Wins in the WFTC on Tax Day

On Tax Day 2026, American families and workers are experiencing the impact of President Trump’s the Working Families Tax Cuts Act (WFTC). Signed into law on July 4, 2025, this historic legislation is delivering wins for working families, small businesses, parents, seniors and farmers across the Nation. AFPI commends President Trump and America First leaders in Congress for putting more money back in the hands of hardworking Americans.

Commentary | April 14, 2026