Backlash against Biden's cautious stance on free trade
The Biden administration's reluctance to pursue new comprehensive free-trade agreements with other countries has caused significant rifts with foreign governments and drawn blowback from Congress. The dispute centers on which countries can receive benefits under the Inflation Reduction Act, which offers tax credits for electric vehicles that are built in North America or that are made with battery minerals from the United States and countries with which it has a free-trade agreement. The lack of free-trade agreements with some of America's closest allies has become a major headache for the administration, reigniting a debate over whether the United States should be working to break down trade barriers with other countries or keep them intact in an attempt to protect American workers.