NewStatesman: US Tariffs Expose Brexit Fantasies
Protectionism is the foe of cooperation, spurring widening antagonism. The United States under Donald Trump is treating longtime allies as adversaries, and this offers a cautionary tale to Brexit supporters who had expected a special relationship with the United States, notes George Eaton for the New Statesman. US tariffs on steel and aluminum will apply to Europe, Canada and Mexico – and that includes the UK. “Trump’s actions will strengthen those MPs pushing for Britain to remain part of an EU customs union,” Eaton writes. “A global trade war, to put it mildly, is not the best time to sever relations with your closest partner.” He anticipates increasingly bold demands from Trump on allies. Trade deals take time, he warns, and the United Kingdom must look beyond making deals with Trump as leadership will shift in the US, the UK and the EU. Protectionist policies under the guise of national security interests, for the United States or Britain, are isolating with many long-term economic and diplomatic repercussions. – YaleGlobal
NewStatesman: US Tariffs Expose Brexit Fantasies
Protectionism could spiral out of control reducing cooperation among longtime allies, reducing national security and signaling that Brexit won’t work
Friday, June 1, 2018
Read the NewStatesman article about US tariffs upending Brexit hopes for a special relationship.
George Eaton is political editor of the New Statesman.
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