Trump has now signed an agreement liberalizing trade with Argentina. Viewed in isolation, and as a purely economic measure, this is a positive development, even if American ranchers will hate it. Hey, they voted for the guy, so they are getting what they deserve.
But Trump is not a free trader, and this deal isn’t really about trade; it is another gesture of solidarity with a friendly right-wing South American regime. The problem is that the real prize in South America is Brazil, which is not run by right-wingers. This kind of gesture is likely to push Brazil further into the arms of the Chinese. Then what?