Trade disputes arise when one government believes another government is violating an agreement or commitment it has made in the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Since 1995, the WTO has played a key role in ending these disputes with over 500 of them brought since 1995 with 350 rulings issued.

As of April of this year, the WTO says that the United States was involved in 52 trade disputed with the European Union - it brought 33 of those while 19 were brought against it. There were 32 disputes in total involving trade with China while with Canada, there were 26, most of which were brought by the U.S.