On 2 April 2025, US President Trump announced “reciprocal tariffs” on trade partners, shocking the world with its high rates and wide scope.
China responded with strong counter-tariffs, leading to an escalation of tariffs between the two nations. On 9 April, Trump issued a 90-day tariff suspension for countries that were willing to negotiate and had not retaliated against the US, while reducing tariffs to 10% for other countries.
Since taking office, Trump has also withdrawn America from several international organisations and agreements, pressured allies on trade, diplomacy and military issues, and made territorial claims on the Panama Canal, Canada and Greenland.
Just over two months into Trump’s presidency, his policies and actions risk unravelling the established international order. How should the world navigate this uncertainty?
In this episode of The World Explained, former Singaporean diplomat Kishore Mahbubani and City University of Hong Kong law professor Wang Jiangyu analyse the chaos unfolding in this new Trump era.
Source: Lianhe Zaobao – Trump’s trade war: tariffs and the global chaos unfolding