Trump would blanket the world in economic protectionism
Brandon Yoder The Australian National University Charles Miller What Trump’s return would mean for US alliances in Asia Published: 15 June 2024 The Australian National University https://eastasiaforum.org/2024/06/15/what-trumps-return-would-mean-for-us-alliances-in-asia/
This dovetails with Trump’s blanket economic protectionism. In addition to the 60 per cent tax on Chinese imports, Trump has proposed a 10 per cent minimum rate on goods from all countries, including US allies. Trump may even use US security commitments as leverage, making them conditional on other countries joining the United States in isolating China. Trump sees even cooperative international relationships in and wants the US to ‘win’ by getting allies to contribute more to collective security. These two foreign policy strategies — pressuring allies to contribute more while also threatening to withdraw US support — are mutually contradictory and would create perverse incentives for other countries.