Making America great again? Trump’s tariff wars risk global backlash

By N.S. Venkataraman* 

Several countries that “experienced” Donald Trump during his first term as President of the United States kept their fingers crossed when he was re-elected for a second term. Since assuming office again, he has been focusing on his “Make America Great Again” agenda and positioning himself as a “global peace maker.” Perhaps, there is also the ambition of being hailed as a Nobel laureate. Certainly, he cannot be faulted for aspiring to such lofty goals.

There is, however, a well-known saying that “means should justify the ends.” President Trump’s aggressive postures and contested claims have created the impression that his methods are far from appropriate, as his approach lacks a holistic, global perspective.

In recent months, many countries have come to believe that Trump’s aggressive tariff measures and repeated threats to raise them to sometimes absurd levels of 200% reflect a “big brother” attitude. Such an approach, associated with arrogance and disregard for others, inevitably breeds anti-American sentiment abroad—counterproductive for the U.S. both in the short and long term.

Beyond tariffs, Trump’s pronouncements and actions often seem to defy the established world order. After decades of painstaking negotiations, global consensus has emerged on critical issues such as climate change, trade regulations under the WTO, nuclear non-proliferation, and the role of the WHO. Yet, Trump has repeatedly challenged or withdrawn from such agreements, causing widespread unease.

By imposing unilateral tariffs, Trump has undermined WTO rules painstakingly developed through consensus. WTO provisions already allow individual countries to impose anti-dumping or safeguard duties to protect domestic industries. However, Trump has chosen to bypass these mechanisms, imposing tariffs based on his own unilateral judgments. While he argues that such measures will boost U.S. manufacturing and the economy, he fails to recognize that his actions violate WTO norms.

As the world’s largest consumer market, the U.S. remains critical to global trade, and most countries have sought dialogue to resolve tariff disputes. Yet Trump, emboldened by this willingness to negotiate, has gone further, slapping a 50% export tariff on India and Brazil.

Particularly puzzling is his justification for imposing tariffs on India—citing its crude oil imports from Russia. Clearly, these tariffs are driven by geopolitical calculations rather than economic rationale, using trade measures as political weapons.

Trump appears to believe he can dictate terms to the world at will. Yet anti-American sentiment is now unmistakably spreading, even in traditionally friendly nations such as Canada, Japan, and Western European countries.

The consequences are evident: global trade flows are beginning to shift. Trump’s aggressive stance is encouraging countries to bypass the U.S. by forging new Free Trade Agreements (FTAs). The recent FTA between the U.K. and India, excluding the U.S., is a telling example. Similarly, India and Germany are preparing to double their trade. More such agreements are likely, reducing dependence on the U.S. market.

The recent SCO summit and growing cooperation among BRICS nations also point to efforts to build trade networks independent of the U.S. Clearly, many governments now see over-reliance on the American market as a calculated risk with Trump in power.

It is time President Trump read the writing on the wall. He must abandon his aggressive postures and refrain from making disparaging remarks about other nations—such as calling India’s economy “dead.” In the long-term interests of the U.S., it is imperative that he avoids fueling anti-American sentiment across the world.

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*Trustee, Nandini Voice For The Deprived, Chennai