Texas has always been a land of bold ambition and fierce self-reliance. We don’t wait for permission to lead. We take action, and we expect respect for our people and our businesses. That’s exactly why President Trump’s “America First” trade agenda is striking a chord here in the Lone Star State. Texans have been burned by bad deals for too long—unfair tariffs, crippling regulations, and foreign governments that break the very agreements they sign. That era is over.
Texas is seeing the benefits of the bold trade deals Trump is pushing through—like the historic agreement with Great Britain announced last week. That deal opens new markets for Texas goods, lowers tariffs, and ensures our farmers, ranchers, and manufacturers are no longer getting the short end of the stick. These are exactly the kinds of agreements Texas needs to stay competitive, and they never would’ve happened under the last administration’s weak, apologetic approach to diplomacy.
This policy shift is music to Texas’ ears because trade is vital to the state’s economic welfare. The Lone Star State the top exporting state in the nation, moving more than $455 billion worth of goods and services across the globe each year. The right trade deals keep that engine running, create jobs, and cement Texas as a global economic powerhouse. But when President Trump is making it clear—that will no longer stand.
For Texas, this fight is about more than trade—it’s about standing up for what’s ours.
Take the Texas energy sector. The Lone Star State accounts for 44% of U.S. oil production, with 27% of its exports sent to Mexico. Yet, countries like Mexico continue to treat Texas businesses unfairly, even with old trade deals in place.
One of the most prominent victims is Monterra Energy, which invested in Mexico in good faith, believing in the reciprocal treatment that Mexico promised when it signed the USMCA trade agreement. However, under former President López Obrador, the Mexican government was anything but fair. The country unlawfully closed Monterra’s facility, weaponizing inspections against the company, and ultimately forced it to sell its energy terminal to the state-run Pemex.
You’ll find similar stories across other sectors, like agriculture. For far too long, Texas farmers have battled unfair tariffs and bureaucratic barriers that blocked access to key markets.
Texas companies have been asking for years: why isn’t Washington standing up for us? Why does the federal government let this unfair treatment happen to its leading export state? Well, finally, President Trump is saying enough is enough. Under his leadership, these barriers are coming down. He is reportedly calling for an early review of the USMCA trade agreement to resolve the former concern and is working on trade deals to expand the market for Texas-grown beef and produce — a clear way of tackling the latter problem.
Texans never back down from a fight. And now, with Trump back in the White House, Washington isn’t backing down either. It isn’t putting foreign governments on notice: if you mess with Texas businesses, you’ll feel the heat.
That’s the kind of leadership we need in Washington—no more appeasing foreign interests at the expense of American workers. Whether it’s protecting our farmers from unfair tariffs, defending our energy sector from unfair business treatment, or making sure Texas companies can trade on a level playing field, President Trump is standing with us. He’s making sure we’re no longer treated like an afterthought.
As a result, it’s getting a whole lot easier for Texas to do what we do best: lead the American economy. And that’s good news for everyone.
Matthew L. Mackowiak served as Travis County GOP chair from 2017-2025. He is the president of Potomac Strategy Group, served in the Bush administration at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, on the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign, and was a senior communications aide to two U.S. Senators and a Governor.