President Donald Trump may not necessarily be maniacal when it comes to his dealings with close neighbours Canada and Mexico and also super power China, but his actions have left a bitter taste in their mouths. The sharp and abrupt hike in tariffs on imports to the US that Trump imposed on these countries came into effect on Tuesday after a brief pause. But all the three are not grinning and bearing with what Uncle Sam has done to them. Rather, they have announced retaliatory steps in a similar manner. Outgoing Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau, whom Trump mischievously called Governor Trudeau, is refusing to be cowed down. Trump insists that these nations should limit the flow of Fentanyl drugs to the US. An analgesic opioid, these are cited as “30 times more potent than heroin and nearly 100 times more harmful,” than morphine.
The series of steps that Trump announced after his inauguration for a second term are obviously meant to strengthen the US after a period of “weak” governance by Democrats with Joe Biden as president. Trump, projecting an extra dose of nationalistic spirit, is also keen on generating more jobs for Americans as he had advocated the last time too. He is well within his limits to promote the manufacturing sector within the US. The higher tariffs on imports are bound to boost this attempt, though some questions arise. For one, manufacturing in the developed world involves higher costs. China manufactures products in bulk and sells them at low prices due to the availability of cheap labour there. With a sharp tariff hike, the prices of imported goods are bound to go up in the US– which would hit the consumer hard. Products manufactured in the US are bound to have higher prices. A matching tariff hike on imports from the US by these countries could mean the consumers there could turn their face away from such items, and opt for products from Europe, for instance. How things work out remains to be seen. Trump himself a business honcho naturally understands the market dynamics more than anyone else.
Curiously, Trump’s opening of another front vis-à-vis Ukraine has shocked many. His harsh responses to visiting Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky in a face-to-face at the Oval office on Friday is indication that Ukraine can no longer trust the US. Having been there to sign a pact on metals exports, which however did not materialize, Zelensky faced open grilling from Trump after the former’s call for a guarantee for US security support against future Russian invasions. Had the Joe Biden administration not given a firm backing to Zelensky at the start of the war in 2022, the Ukrainian leader would not have carried forward this misadventure against a crafty and ruthless Vladimir Putin. Thanks to Trump, Zelensky is now caught between the devil and the deep sea.
