The new US government’s decision to impose steel and aluminum import tariffs has triggered a global criticism, with allies and trade partners at the same time -voicing their concerns over increasingly unilateral and hegemonic economic policies.
Far from being a step to protect the US industry, this protectionist acts reveal the wider economic trend of nationalism which will not only backfire in the US but also disrupt global trade and encourage the economy towards fragmentation.
The US has long been fighting for the principles of free trade – when in accordance with its interests. However, when the power of the global market began to challenge its supremacy, Washington quickly left the principles that support aggressive protectionism. The latest step in steel and aluminum tariffs is nothing more than despair to protect the industry that has declined itself in the US itself, even if it is with the cost of global economic stability.
For decades, the US has enjoyed its position as a dominant economic force, determines the rules of global trade and using institutions such as international monetary funds and the World Bank as a tool to uphold its will. However, the rise of power plants such as China, strengthening regional alliances, and increasing the dependence of countries in alternative markets has eroded Washington’s ability to unilaterally control global trade.
Instead of adapting to this shift, the US has chosen to react with strength – imposing a penalty tariff, arming dollars, and state sanctions that refuse to fall in line.
While Washington tried to justify this tariff as a way to “protect American workers”, the reality was very different. The nature of globalization of supply chains means that this tariff will ultimately increase costs for US business, which leads to a higher price for consumers and the potential for increasing inflation. History has shown that protectionist policies rarely produce the desired results. Conversely, they often cause the domestic industry to become satisfied, less competitive, and ultimately unacceptable.
The steel industry is a perfect example of this. By imposing a higher import rate, the US government believes it protects domestic producers from competition. However, what is actually done is to make raw materials more expensive for US producers who rely on imported steel. This will increase production costs for industries such as automotive, construction and energy, making their products more expensive both domestically and internationally.
In addition, retaliation cannot be avoided. Affected trading partners will not sit still while Washington distorts global trade that supports it by force. We cannot expect the affected parties not to reply. There will definitely be a response that I believe will not entertain the US government.
The world is currently established at a decisive time. At the time of multilateralism must be encouraged to overcome post-committee economic recovery, supply chain disorders, and the need for global economic stability, Washington acts only function to deepen divisions and accelerate economic decoupling.
Tariffs are not only about steel and aluminum – they symbolize a broader ideological battle between two contrasting economic visions. On the one hand it is the US, holding fast to the idea of absolute dominance that is outdated, using economic coercion to maintain control. On the other hand is a multipolar world that moves towards joint prosperity, regional cooperation, and mutually beneficial.
China, for example, has responded to Western protectionism by strengthening its economic ties with the Association of Southeast Asian nation, BRICS countries, and Belt and Road initiative partners. Europe, which is increasingly frustrated by Washington’s uncertain economic policy, has tried to diversify its trade relations to reduce dependence in the US market. Global South, which is long marked by the financial order led by the US, now actively explores the structure of alternative economy, including local trade trade and non-West Finance Institutions.
The US must recognize that the economic hegemony is no longer ongoing. The world is changing, and those who fail to adapt will find themselves behind. By imposing protectionist policies, Washington not only endangers its own economic prospects but also accelerates its decline as a global leader.
The main lesson of history is that the kingdom falls not because of an external threat but because of their own arrogance. The Roman Empire collapsed under the burden of non -sustainable expansion and corruption. The British Empire, which was once the most powerful economic force in the world, fell because it refused to accept the global order shifted after World War II. The US is now at a similar intersection.
If Washington continues the pathway of economic isolationism and unilateral coercion, it will only accelerate the decline in influence. Other countries will move forward with an alternative economic framework, forging a new alliance that reduces the relevance of US dominance. The status of the dollar as a world reserve currency has been challenged by an alternative payment system, and economic mechanisms such as “BRICS Plus” actively work to reduce dependence on the Western financial system.
The US still has the choice to reverse direction. Instead of imposing tariffs and using economic coercion, Washington must find cooperation through significant involvement with its trading partners. A fair trade system based on rules-which does not support one country is disproportionate by sacrificing others-is the only worthy way going forward.
This will require a shift in policy from confrontation to collaboration, from imposing sanctions to negotiating mutually beneficial trade agreements. The US must recognize that its long -term prosperity does not depend on economic dominance but on strategic partnerships and fair competition.
Unfortunately, the political reality in Washington made this change impossible. The emergence of economic nationalism, triggered by Bipartisan rhetoric about “protecting American work”, has made it difficult for rational economic policies to take precedence over populist posture. However, the reality will soon follow the Washington policy makers. The world is no longer willing to accept unilateral economic decisions that only serve US interests.
US tariffs on steel and aluminum are not only about trade – they are a reflection of the Washington’s deeper struggle to maintain the dominance of it in the world that is increasingly multipolar. These protectionist steps will backfire, harm the US industry, increase trade tension, and encourage the world further towards economic fragmentation.
At the time of cooperation it takes more than before, Washington has chosen for Stoke Division. But the world is no longer willing to play with outdated rules. The global economic order is shifting, and countries find new paths towards prosperity that does not depend on US approval.
If the US does not change its direction, he will soon find himself isolated, witnessing the world moving in front of it without him. What Washington saw as a strategy to maintain control instead would be a catalyst for its own economic decline. The choice is clear: adapt to the new reality of the multipolar world, or face the consequences of the chaos caused by itself.
Source: China Daily
