The US spins out of control, into an economic world of its own (East Asia Forum)

Donald Trump’s imposition of a tariff wall around the US economy is a major blow to global economic integration, as the United States moves towards economic decoupling from the Asia-Pacific region. The disruptive effects of the tariffs are compounded by the fact that it still remains uncertain whether they are open to bargaining, and if their implementation is even legal in the first place. For Asia, bilateral deals or retaliation against the US are tempting but would be disastrous – the best approach is to mobilise existing mechanisms like RCEP to coordinate a regional response that defends open trade.

The US spins out of control, into an economic world of its own | East Asia Forum