Trump first one hundred days6/11/2023 ![]() Moreover, the much-discussed border adjustment tax on imports could hit European car manufacturers hard. administration officials have accused Berlin of exploiting a “ grossly undervalued” euro. Germany, with which the United States has run a trade deficit for years, is particularly concerned, having been repeatedly named alongside China as a possible currency manipulator. trade deficits.įor Europe, Trump’s protectionist leanings mean a new source of transatlantic friction. Since his inauguration, Trump has withdrawn the United States from TPP, questioned whether the United States must abide by certain World Trade Organization (WTO) rulings, and signed an executive order to review U.S. In several instances, campaign promises have already translated into consistent actions. On the campaign trail, he ran against Republican orthodoxy, calling the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) the “ worst trade deal ever” and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) a “ horrible deal.” He also threatened to impose massive tariffs on Chinese and Mexican imports. In his eyes, the United States has been on the losing end of trade deals for years. ![]() One of Trump’s most consistent themes has been vociferous skepticism of free and open global trade. Trade: A New Source of Transatlantic Friction? Defense spending aside, transatlantic rifts could also occur should Trump continue to make critical foreign policy decisions without first consulting allies (as in the April 7 air strike against Syria in response to a chemical-weapons attack) or if he presses NATO allies to make stronger military contributions in Syria or Afghanistan. The NATO summit in Brussels on May 25 will be a real test for European allies to demonstrate resolve toward gradually fulfilling the 2 percent spending target while balancing the president’s expectations of quick results. Trump still fundamentally holds a transactional view of alliances. This does not mean Europeans can afford complacency, however. However, NATO’s recent spending spree is less a function of Trump’s bravado and threats and more a reflection of the deterioration of European security and a decision made by NATO in 2014 that all allies should spend the equivalent of 2 percent of their national GDP on defense. Trump is tallying this activity as a win for his administration. Trump has even praised NATO’s growing defense spending and efforts to boost intelligence sharing to combat terrorism, remarking that NATO is “ no longer obsolete.” Whether coming from Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, Vice President Mike Pence, or the president himself, the Trump administration has offered reassurances that it intends to continue to honor the decades-long U.S. The fear that Trump would weaken the U.S. forces from those regions and conditioning protection unless allies “ fulfilled their obligations.” While Trump has continued to talk tough since his inauguration on January 20, 2017, pressing leaders from Merkel to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to spend more, he has also moderated his posture. Accusing Washington’s partners in Asia and Europe of not paying enough for defense, candidate Trump even went so far as to entertain the option of pulling back U.S. presidential election campaign, Trump repeatedly spoke disparagingly of America’s allies. Allies Still Matter-but Tough Love?ĭuring the 2016 U.S. ![]() As the Trump administration finds its feet on foreign policy, there are both encouraging and concerning signs to which Europeans ought to pay close attention. Ivanka’s visit also confirms that Germany, not the leaders of the EU institutions, matters for policymaking. What Merkel thinks clearly matters to Trump, who held long talks with Merkel during her visit to Washington on March 17 and over the phone since. Trump sent his influential daughter Ivanka to meet German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin on April 25. Some inkling may emerge sooner than expected. Will the United States’ traditional global leadership role fundamentally change, leaving Europe to fend for itself? What does America First mean for Europe and the transatlantic relationship? There is much consternation and vacillation in European capitals about what the Trump administration’s foreign policy will entail. One hundred days into his presidency, Europe is still struggling to make sense of Trump. ![]() He is an expert on European politics and security and transatlantic relations. Erik Brattberg was director of the Europe Program and a fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington. ![]()
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