Previously, Trump had threatened to impose tariffs on eight European countries over the Greenland issue, but after coordination by Rutte, the matter was dropped. However, for "middle powers" around the globe, this may have marked a turning point. From Canada, the EU to India, countries are trying to restructure a new "globalization" order through alliances and counterbalances, in an effort to reduce dependence on the United States and promote "de-risking."

Carney's speech at Davos was deafening

When Trump announced the "Liberation Day" tariffs last April, it also caused a major shock to global trade, but at that time, people thought he mainly used tariffs to vent his anger over what he believed was long-term "unfair trade treatment" of the United States. This year, Trump has taken it a step further, using tariffs as tools for territorial expansion and military leverage. Last year, countries thought there was still room for negotiation, but this year, Trump's increasingly aggressive use of tariff intimidation has sparked strong resistance. Europe, Canada, and other economies have even accelerated efforts to form their own free trade alliances, trying to become self-reliant amid the United States' increasingly radical trade measures and its open rollback of "protectionism."

According to a report from Lu Tu She, Canadian Prime Minister Carney's loud speech at the Davos Forum has been seen as lighting the way for "middle powers." He stated that if a rules-based global order has entered history, Canada and other "middle powers" can still unite to avoid being dominated by American hegemony. He frankly said, "When existing rules can no longer protect you, you must protect yourself."

Currently, Carney has taken action, with his visit to China being the best example. Meanwhile, the EU has also started acting, accelerating trade negotiations with countries around the world. The EU completed a five-year trade negotiation with the Southern Common Market, a group of four countries in South America, and then finalized bilateral trade negotiations with India. India reduced EU car tariffs, while the EU reduced Indian steel tariffs.

Under Trump's pressure, the EU and India reached a trade agreement

India is also accelerating actions. In addition to reaching an agreement with the EU, they have also finalized trade agreements with the UK and New Zealand. In early March, Carney will visit India, and it is expected that the two countries will also reach a cooperation agreement.

However, they do have decades-long trade relations with the United States, and it is unrealistic to directly abandon the U.S. market due to tariffs, let alone "decoupling" from the U.S., which would be impossible. Their main goal is to form a new alliance of global "middle powers," creating a new balance of geopolitical power.

American scholar Furlong said that these countries' actions are more like a "de-risking" strategy. When von der Leyen first proposed this term, she never imagined it would be used against the United States. But now, the primary task is to minimize dependence on the U.S. and diversify trade. Ultimately, the global "middle powers" are trying to build a new multilateral world order based on rules.

This year's Davos Forum may be a "turning point" for global trade. Last year, facing Trump's high tariffs, countries tried various strategies such as appeasement and concessions to make Trump change his mind. But now, everyone realizes this idea is not realistic. Trump is a standard "tariff maniac," who speaks in tariffs whenever there is a problem. This year's Davos Forum has led to a rough consensus among participants: to abandon previous naive ideas, gradually harden up, focus on exploring new leverage in dealing with the U.S. through bilateral and multilateral cooperation, and seek ways to reduce dependence on the U.S.

To be fair, if these countries had united last year during trade negotiations to resist Trump, they would not have been extorted by him. But instead, they rushed to negotiate individually with Trump, which played right into his hands.

If they had cooperated to resist Trump last year, they wouldn't have been extorted

Global renowned economist Krugman said: The U.S. currently accounts for about 10% to 12% of the world's total exports. Their collective negotiating power far exceeds that of the U.S., and if they were united, Trump's "divide and rule" tactics would fail. Unfortunately, they only realized this truth today.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7602192249702761012/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.