After months of insults, tariffs, and even threats of annexation directed at some of its closest allies, the Trump administration now finds itself in need of help. The U.S. President has escalated a trade war with China, but it’s unclear how he plans to win. To exert pressure on Chinese President Xi Jinping, the U.S. could leverage its allies, tapping into America’s global power. However, this strategy could clash with Trump’s “America First” agenda.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently mentioned that key U.S. allies, such as Japan, South Korea, India, and Vietnam, are entering trade talks with Washington. “Everyone is coming to the table, and China is surrounded,” he said. Bessent emphasized that the goal of these talks should be to “rebalance” trade with China.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt was asked why allies would want to help counter China when the Trump administration had been so harsh with them. Her response was that American allies “need” the U.S. for its markets and consumer base, noting that the phones are “ringing off the hooks” from foreign leaders reaching out to America.
However, the Trump administration has spent much of its time since taking office undermining international alliances. The president has often criticized the European Union, even calling it a trade threat to the U.S., and Vice President JD Vance has echoed similar sentiments. Trump’s attitude toward the Western Hemisphere has been strained as well, especially with his threats against Canada and his tough stance on Mexico. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has even suggested that the relationship between Canada and the U.S. may have fundamentally changed.
Despite these tensions, the idea of forming a united front with allies to challenge China’s trade practices remains appealing. The problem is, Trump rejected this strategy early on. On his first day in office, he pulled the U.S. out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade deal that included U.S. allies like Mexico, Canada, Japan, and Australia, but excluded China. He also dismantled the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, which would have tied together the world’s two largest markets.
Now, the question is whether Trump has alienated America’s allies so much that they will refuse to work with him. As Jason Furman, former chair of the Council of Economic Advisers under President Obama, noted, “The U.S. right now is an incredibly unreliable partner to anyone in the world,” leaving the future of America’s global relationships uncertain.
