President Trump’s Tariffs: A Security Disruption
President Donald Trump’s tariffs aren’t just an economic disruption. They’re a security one.
His program, if implemented as planned, could muddle global supply chains the Pentagon has spent decades creating, make American weapons more expensive, and complicate international efforts to counter China — such as joint ventures to build submarines with the United Kingdom and Australia.
Implications for Defense Relationships
Trump bills his tariff plan as a transformative move to equalize trade and return lost revenue to the country. But it runs the risk of destroying his other promises to turn the U.S. into an industrial powerhouse and minimize China’s power.
The global tariffs — ranging from 20 percent on imports from the European Union to 10 percent on the U.K. and Australian goods — are also likely to upend defense collaborations long considered successful joint ventures.
Challenges and Reactions
“There’s going to be shortages of supplies, tit-for-tats, and our allies and other partners are going to retaliate,” said Bill Greenwalt, a former Pentagon acquisition official.
Business groups are requesting the defense industry receive a strategic carve-out to avoid higher costs for the Pentagon, crucial supply chain disruptions and failures to meet the country’s security commitments.
Conclusion
The new realities are sinking in for longtime U.S. allies, who are increasingly focused on coming up with ways to increase their own defense production.
