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