The United States and its Western allies face an escalation in economic and political tensions, as President Donald Trump’s administration is increasingly linking customs tariffs and policies towards Ukraine, according to a report published by Bloomberg.
These developments come at a time when the United States is preparing to impose customs definitions of 25% on imports from Canada and Mexico starting next Tuesday, with similar definitions imposed on the European Union in the coming weeks.
In conjunction, tension prevails between the United States and Europe due to a tense meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Voludmir Zellinski last Friday, as Trump blamed Ukraine in the war with Russia, a position seen as a political gift for Moscow.
A new American vision
A large part of these policies – according to Bloomberg – is based on the ideas of Stephen Miran, the new economic advisor of Trump, who published a research paper last November determining how to use customs tariffs as a pressure tool on allies.
Miran believes that the United States should use its long -term security obligations to pressure other countries to comply with Trump’s economic vision.
National security as an economic tool
In the context of addressing international reactions to the American definitions, Miran proposes to integrate national security directly into commercial policy.
According to his analysis, any country that imposes retaliatory definitions on the United States may face a reduction in Washington’s security obligations to it.
For example, if the European Union imposes retaliatory definitions in response to Trump’s definitions, Washington may reduce its military support for Europe, which may cause the European Union to increase its defensive spending, which will allow the United States to convert its focus towards China instead of Russia, all with the achievement of additional revenues for the US Treasury.
From Miran’s point of view, economic and security alliances are no longer permanent ways to enhance common visions, but rather turned into barter assets in a new world governed by deals.
This comes at a time when the Trump administration intends to impose new definitions of 10% on imports from China as of next Tuesday, in addition to 10% definitions imposed at the beginning of last month, which is seen as an additional escalation in the trade war between the two countries.
Economy and foreign policy
It is clear that the new economic policies are not only aimed at achieving direct economic gains, but are also used as a political tool to pressure allies and commercial partners.
This is especially evident in Washington’s dealings with Canada and Mexico, the most important economic partners of the United States in North America.
In light of this strategy, the report warns that the Atlantic relationships are facing a real test, as some Trump advisers believe that the reshaping of these relationships is the essence of what they are trying to achieve.
