As U.S. President Donald Trump antagonizes pretty much the entire globe with tariffs, and as the trade war between the two largest economies exponentially escalates, there are questions around whether the world order has irrevocably collapsed, and which countries could emerge as new leaders.
“The world order of the last 80 years as we know it is dead,” said Cameron Johnson, a senior partner with Shanghai-based supply chain consultancy Tidalwave Solutions.
As countries everywhere grapple with their responses to Trump’s sweeping tariffs — now on pause at the baseline 10 per cent for 90 days except for China — some analysts say the world may have no choice but to look toward Asia to bolster trade and co-operation, especially as the U.S. regime appears to be increasingly unpredictable.
Consequences of a tit-for-tat
On April 2, Trump slapped on a blanket 10 per cent tariff rate on nearly every country, with many getting hit harder. China was one of …