Investing.com — The U.S. trade landscape is under scrutiny as investors brace for potential tariff escalations under a new administration.
Barclays (LON:) analysts on near-total visibility into commodities crossing U.S. borders, said Mexico’s growing prominence as the U.S.’s largest trading partner raises concerns about the impact of potential import duties.
The 2019 U.S.-China trade war serves as a reference for possible challenges.
Analysts note declines in domestic rail and trucking volumes, as well as contractions in global freight markets, during that period. While tariffs could disrupt trade with Canada and Mexico, trade among North American partners expanded under the prior U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.
Tariff escalation with China would likely hit global freight providers and Western railroads hardest, particularly those reliant on grai