Trump Escalates Trade War: “Allies Often Worse Than Enemies” as He Announces Reciprocal Tariffs.

US President Donald Trump announced today sweeping reciprocal tariffs targeting both allies and competitors, marking a significant escalation in the global trade war amid warnings from economists that the move could fuel inflation within the United States.

Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump stated that he had decided to impose retaliatory tariffs, arguing that “US allies are often worse than our enemies” when it comes to trade practices.

He explained that the new tariffs would be customized for each US trading partner, taking into account factors such as Value Added Tax (VAT).

Since taking office, Trump has introduced a broad range of tariffs targeting some of America’s largest trade partners, claiming that they are necessary to combat unfair trade practices and often using them as leverage to influence policies.

The president emphasized that tariffs serve as a tool to increase revenue, address trade imbalances, and pressure countries to comply with US demands.

Trump’s announcement comes just hours before his scheduled meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Washington. However, it remains unclear when exactly these tariffs would take effect if implemented.

Analysts have warned that reciprocal duties could lead to a significant tariff hike for emerging market economies such as India and Thailand, which tend to impose higher effective tariff rates on US products.

Meanwhile, countries with existing trade agreements with Washington, such as South Korea, may face lower risks from these measures, according to experts.