Trump’s New Tariffs: Economic Advantage or Global Risk – Rezazade

US President Donald Trump has officially imposed a new wave of import tariffs that have already taken effect and have hit goods from dozens of countries — even those considered close partners of Washington. 

Despite partial agreements with countries such as the UK, the EU, Japan and South Korea, tariffs on goods from India, Switzerland and South Africa will reach 39%, and for India - will rise to 50% in just three weeks.

International security expert and vice president of the Iranian opposition in Washington, Ali Reza Rezazade, warns that the new wave of US tariff policy could not only provoke economic instability, but also endanger strategic alliances.

“Trade tariffs in a world interconnected by global supply chains are like an explosion in the heart of the economy. These actions may seem temporarily beneficial for the budget, but in the long run they carry the threat of recession and loss of US influence on the international stage,” Rezazade notes.

One of the main risks, he says, is the destabilization of trade confidence in the US and an increase in dependence on domestic resources, which, in many cases, simply do not exist. Even large corporations like Apple are already forced to change logistics and move production to the US to avoid double customs duties.

“This is a strategy of coercion disguised as national interests. But coercion rarely creates lasting alliances. Rather, it provokes economic isolation,” Rezazade adds.

While the White House has yet to reach final agreements with China, Mexico, and Canada, Trump has already imposed a 35% tariff on selected Canadian goods and announced 100% tariffs on chips and semiconductors — with the exception of those companies that invest in manufacturing in the United States.

According to the expert, using tariffs not only as an economic tool but also as a foreign policy lever is a dangerous trend. Especially when it comes to trying to influence conflicts between third countries, such as Thailand and Cambodia.

“America risks losing its reputation not only as an economic leader, but also as a reliable partner. Such a policy of “trade ultimatum” will eventually reduce the influence of the United States in the world,” Rezazade concludes.

Against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions, inflationary pressures, and an increasingly unpredictable global market, Trump’s trade strategy could turn out to be an explosive cocktail, the consequences of which will have repercussions far beyond the United States.