U.S. may suffer major losses in escalating tariff war — foreign policy expert

He expressed this opinion on Espreso TV.

"The tariff war initiated by Donald Trump has stirred the world, especially with the angry reactions from countries facing the harshest tariffs. There have been many statements about countermeasures, and we are hearing them from both China and EU countries. A trade war between China and the U.S. is on the horizon. It's hard to predict who will come out on top, considering China will direct its economic aggression against the U.S., while the U.S. is at war with the world in this area. So, there may be a noticeable asymmetry in this situation," Zelikhovskyi commented.

According to him, China could potentially unite other states, such as those in the Global South, many of which have also been subjected to U.S. tariff pressure. The consequences of such actions could be felt in both the U.S. economy and the political sphere for Trump’s administration.

"If the situation between Washington and Beijing is not resolved, China may offer itself as an alternative for European countries, encouraging them to shift from the American market to the Chinese one. Additionally, the economic ties between the EU and China are already strong, and strengthening them could be mutually beneficial. Therefore, China might come out with greater gains from the tariff war. Trump, in this way, will create the consequences he was trying to avoid—a greater expansion of resources and goods from China. The U.S. could lose multiple times. If the U.S. loses ties with other countries, it will impact both American interests and, of course, the interests of the countries against which these tariffs are being imposed. But other countries will be able to find alternative options, particularly in cooperation with China," the expert concluded.

• U.S. President Donald Trump announced the implementation of tariffs of at least 10% on almost all goods imported to the U.S., with tariffs set to take effect on April 9.