posted 8th April 2025
Trump Tariffs Shake Global Trade: A Stand Against Exploitation or Economic Defence?
8 April 2025
Donald Trump’s latest tariff policies, alongside the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), are sending shockwaves across the globe, prompting a seismic shift in international trade dynamics. Europe is rethinking its strategies, Asia is stirring from its slumber, and Africa is awakening to a new economic reality. At the heart of this upheaval is what President Trump calls a war against worldwide trade fraud and malpractices—practices he argues have long been perpetuated, particularly by Europe.
The tariffs, framed as an economic defensive mechanism, are being positioned as a bold resistance to a lopsided global trade system that has historically disadvantaged the United States, the world’s economic powerhouse. Critics and supporters alike agree that the move disrupts a pre-existing tariff regime—one that has quietly been accepted as the norm, with the US serving as the globe’s cash cow. “Those fidgeting about the consequences of the tariff are the ones who’ve been benefitting from this skewed arrangement,” a Trump administration insider remarked. Markets, initially rattled by the shake-up, are expected to find a new equilibrium as the dust settles.
President Trump’s tariffs come with a pointed message to Europe, a continent accused of exploiting the US while relying on it as a defence guarantor through NATO. The irony is not lost on the President, who has repeatedly clashed with European leaders over their contributions to the NATO budget. “They pay pennies while we foot the bill,” Trump has said, a sentiment that fuels his trade agenda. The tariffs, supporters argue, are a long-overdue pushback against exploitation—of a rich and powerful nation, no less.
Europe’s trade practices have come under particular scrutiny. The EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and Deforestation-free Supply Chain Regulation (EUDR) have been cited as prime examples of tariff barriers masquerading as environmental policy. The CBAM imposes costly verification measures on US exporters, potentially slashing their competitive edge in the EU market to the tune of $4.7 billion annually. Meanwhile, the EUDR’s stringent requirements threaten $8.6 billion worth of US agricultural and industrial exports. “These regulations don’t level the playing field—they tilt it in Europe’s favour,” a US trade official claimed.
Across the Atlantic, Europe’s historical baggage is being dragged into the spotlight. Critics point to a legacy of exploitation—colonising Africa, enslaving its people, and, in modern times, neo-colonising the continent through economic dominance. France and Britain, often dubbed the major culprits, face renewed accusations of sharp practices. “Ever heard of rip-off Britain?” one analyst mused, referencing the country’s reputation for profiteering. The ghost of colonial figures like Taubman Goldie looms large—his brutal trade tactics in Nigeria, including the exile and death of King Jaja to secure palm oil, are cited as early blueprints for Europe’s exploitative trade playbook.
Yet, Trump’s tariffs resonate beyond the West. In Africa, nations like Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger are staging their own revolutions—not coups, as some insist—against similar exploitation. These movements echo the tariffs’ spirit of resistance, a rejection of expropriation by foreign powers. “The Trump tariff is like decolonising the USA,” one observer noted, drawing parallels between America’s pushback and Africa’s fight for economic sovereignty.
The World Trade Organisation (WTO), born in 1995 to counter Europe’s autarkic and cheating tendencies, now finds itself at a crossroads. “The WTO exists because Europe couldn’t be trusted to play fair,” a trade historian remarked. Trump’s tariffs, in this light, are less a radical departure and more a return to the principles that birthed the WTO—principles of fairness undermined by decades of subtle European trade barriers.
As the world watches, President Trump’s gambit is clear: a rejection of the status quo, a dismantling of exploitation masked as partnership. Whether this bold strategy heralds a new era of equitable trade or ignites a global economic firestorm remains to be seen. For now, the tariffs have done what they intended—roused the world from its slumber.
