NEW YORK, March 31. /TASS/. The aggressive trade policy of US President Donald Trump's administration and his ambition to expand the territory of the United States have undermined allies' trust in Washington and prompted a reassessment of cooperation formats, The New York Times (NYT) reported.
The newspaper cites several examples of traditional partners "alienating" from the US: Canada has signed a $4.2 billion deal with Australia to build an early warning radar system and is discussing military reform plans with the EU; Portugal and several NATO countries are reconsidering the purchase of US F-35 fighter jets; negotiations between the EU and India on a free trade and technology treaty have significantly accelerated; Brazil is expanding yuan trade with China; while Poland and South Korea do not rule out gaining access to nuclear weapons.
According to the newspaper, key factors driving this shift include Trump's plans to impose tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and other countries, as well as his statements about annexing Greenland and Canada to the US and regaining control of the Panama Canal.
On March 4, the US administration imposed 25% customs duties on nearly all imports from Canada and Mexico, while also raising tariffs on Chinese goods from 10% to 20%. On March 6, Trump signed executive orders postponing the 25% import duties on Canadian and Mexican goods covered by the trilateral trade agreement until April 2, warning that no further extensions would be granted. Additionally, Trump announced plans to introduce new retaliatory tariffs on imported goods starting April 2. According to him, countries such as the European Union, Brazil, India, Canada, China, and Mexico impose significantly higher duties on US imports than Washington does on theirs.
Earlier, Trump expressed his intention to expand the US borders by incorporating Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal. He claimed that Canada’s integration into the US would serve its people's interests, argued that Greenland was essential for Washington's national security, and vowed to "free" the Panama Canal from what he described as excessive Chinese influence, bringing it back under American control.