Trump's Second-Term Tariff Strategy Signals Major Shift in U.S. Trade Policy

The president's aggressive new tariffs aim to reshape global trade, provoke China, and prioritize economic self-reliance over international integration.

President Trump has imposed sweeping tariffs of up to 25% on imports from major trading partners, including China, Canada, Mexico, and the European Union, with more measures planned for April.
The administration's new trade policy marks a departure from Trump's first term, focusing less on negotiation and more on reshaping global trade relationships to favor U.S. manufacturing and supply chains.
Retaliatory tariffs from Canada, Mexico, and the EU have already targeted politically sensitive U.S. industries, while further escalation with China risks broader economic fallout.
Economists warn that the unprecedented scale of these tariffs could severely impact the U.S. economy, with comparisons drawn to the Smoot-Hawley tariffs of 1930.
Trump's approach reflects a rejection of the post-war liberal economic order, aiming to dismantle global trade norms and promote economic self-reliance, even at the cost of short-term economic disruption.