Trump administration pushes nations to sign 'trade over aid' declaration [View all]

Source: Washington Post

The Trump administration is pushing countries around the world to sign a joint declaration that calls for “trade over aid” and explicitly rejects America’s history as a leading provider of humanitarian assistance and other support to the developing world.

In a cable sent Wednesday to all U.S. embassies and consular posts, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered American diplomats to issue a démarche — an official call to action — to foreign nations no later than Monday that asks for their backing before the U.S. initiative is introduced at the United Nations at the end of April.

The “trade over aid” push is an opportunity, Rubio’s directive says, to use the U.N. system to “promote America First values and create business opportunities for U.S. companies.” The Washington Post reviewed a copy of his cable, which has not previously been reported.

The move comes as the Trump administration has sought to dramatically remake the global aid system, dismantling the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and pulling back funding from multilateral efforts at the United Nations, arguing that such initiatives have led to waste, fraud and dependency.

Read more: https://wapo.st/4tg4zI4

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Secretary of State Marco Rubio called it an opportunity to use the U.N. system to “promote America First values,” according to a cable reviewed by The Post.

April 15, 2026 at 7:39 p.m. EDT