For citation:
Kheyfets, B. A., & Chernova, V. Yu. (2026). New US Trade Policy: Implications for Post-Soviet States. AlterEconomics, 23(1), 234–250. https://doi.org/10.31063/AlterEconomics/2026.23-1.13
Abstract:
The article examines the impact of US protectionist policies on the global economy, using the economies of post-Soviet countries as an example. “Trumponomics 2.0” is a set of economic measures adopted by the Trump administration and characterized by strict protectionism, unilateral revisions of trade agreements in foreign policy, and tax incentives and deregulation in domestic policy. The study uses theoretical analysis alongside comparative and statistical methods to assess how US protectionism affects the economies of post-Soviet states — an area that has received limited scholarly attention despite the vulnerability of CIS countries to external trade shocks. The findings show that the direct short-term impact of new US trade barriers on CIS economies is limited because their trade volumes with the United States remain relatively small. However, indirect effects are significant. Escalating global tariff conflicts have slowed global economic growth and reduced demand for raw materials, negatively affecting commodity-exporting economies in the region. Trump’s tariff policy has generated a global shock, disrupting the established architecture of international trade. In the medium term, continued implementation of “Trumponomics 2.0” could accelerate the fragmentation of global trade and the emergence of competing economic blocs. The study concludes that rising geopolitical and economic uncertainty requires post-Soviet countries to develop adaptive strategies to changing global conditions. The policy may also intensify disintegration processes in the post-Soviet space, weaken Russia’s regional influence, and worsen the operating environment for Russian businesses.
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