This Trade War Would Be Unlike Any Other

Wall Street Journal: “His threat to hit several European countries with tariffs of 10%, rising to 25%, if they oppose the U.S. annexation of Greenland is entirely different. It would be an unprecedented use of tariffs against an ally for a strategic, as opposed to a domestic, goal.”

“This is the logical endpoint of Trump’s core doctrine: that the U.S.’s economic size and influence give it leverage to achieve a variety of goals through tariffs, including some that previously required military force. If it succeeds, it could usher in a new sort of trade war, one whose aims aren’t mercantile but geostrategic, including the annexation of more territory.”

Said France Finance Minister Roland Lescure to the BBC: “We’re living through uncharted territories. We’ve never seen this before. An ally, a friend of 250 years, is considering using tariffs … as a geopolitical weapon.”