** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ALTHOUGH INTERNATIONAL TRADE HAS LONG BEEN AFFECTED BY POLITICS, POLITICAL ACTIONS HAVE RECENTLYINCREASED TRADE RESTRICTIONS, INCREASED TRADE POLICY UNCERTAINTY, UNDERMINED GLOBAL TRADING RULES AND REDUCED INTERNATIONAL TRADE FLOWS. THIS IS A PARTICULAR CHALLENGE FOR THE U.S. AGRICULTURAL SECTOR AS IT IS THE LARGEST EXPORTER OF AGRI-FOOD PRODUCTS, AND THE SECTOR DEPENDS LARGELY ON INTERNATIONAL TRADE. TRADE DISPUTES ARE COMMON IN THE AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD (AGRI-FOOD) SECTOR COMPARED TO THE NONAGRICULTURAL SECTOR BECAUSE POLITICAL INTERFERENCE IN INTERNATIONAL TRADE IS MORE PREVALENT IN THE AGRIFOOD SECTOR. WITHIN THIS CONTEXT OF POLITICALLY BASED TRADE POLICIES AND A WEAKENED GLOBAL TRADING SYSTEM, ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY CAN PROVIDE AN IMPORTANT FOREIGN POLICY TOOL FOR COUNTRIES IN AGRICULTURE AND AGRI-FOOD FOOD TRADE. DIPLOMACY MAY BE ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHEN COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN TRADE DISPUTES OR DIPLOMATIC SPATS. THE OVERALL AIM OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT IS TO EXAMINE THE FORM OF INTERACTION THAT EXISTS BETWEEN ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY, TRADE DISPUTES, AND AGRIFOOD TRADE WITHIN THE U.S. AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD SECTOR. WE EMPLOY INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL ECONOMY THEORIES TO EMPIRICALLY EXAMINE HOW TRADE DISPUTES AT THE WTO LEVEL AFFECT AGRI-FOOD TRADE, AS WELL AS HOW STRENGTHENING DIPLOMATIC TIES BETWEEN COUNTRIES CAN PROMOTE US AGRI-FOOD TRADE. WE TAKE THIS ANALYSIS A STEP FURTHER AND EXAMINE THE IMPACT OF STATE OFFICES ON PROMOTING TRADE. THE US PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT CASE BECAUSE ITS AGRI-FOOD SECTORTRADE HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY DIPLOMATIC SPATS AND RISING GEOPOLITICAL TENSIONS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND KEY PLAYERS IN THE GLOBAL AGRI-FOOD MARKETS. MOREOVER, THE UNITED STATES IS THE COUNTRY WITH THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF TRADE DISPUTES CASES AT THE WTO'S DISPUTE SETTLEMENT UNDERSTANDING (DSU). U.S. STATES AND GOVERNORS ARE ALSO CLOSELY ENGAGED IN PARA-DIPLOMACY ACTIVITIES AND THE PROJECT.