Trump's tariffs on friends and foes are falling into a trap set by China

 Some are pointing out that Trump's tariffs on friends and foe are falling into a trap set by China. How is that so?

Thinking about this point, it makes sense. In trying to prevent Chinese products from competing in the USA through sanctions and tariffs, China builds factories all over the world - in Vietnam, Thailand, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Mexico, Brazil, Pakistan and some EU countries like Hungary as well to avert USA sanctions and tariffs. Trump has no way of preventing China from accessing the USA market using the indirect way and is thus forced to erect tariffs against every country to stem out Chinese products. This is causing bad blood from friends and foe alike and will isolate the USA even further. This is the trap that China sets for the USA, to make countries go against the USA and is working.

Having said that, Chinese EV makers investing worldwide, for example, are not targeting the USA market alone, which is just basically of minor importance. Those factories set up by BYD are more about targeting the Global South countries that the USA and the EU could never compete on cost and pricing. And if Global South countries are being targeted with tariffs by the USA, who do we think they will support going forward? Even Canada, a staunch USA ally through thick and thin, is doing something that we never thought would happen by selling oil to China in the face of Trump's tariffs.

As the EU faces a 25% tariff from the USA soon, what will they do? Same as Canada perhaps, now that the EU knows that the USA is throwing it under the bus. Isn't that also falling into a trap set by China too?

Anonymous