The Trump tariff trap: why the world and America should be worried

I’ve always admired America. Not just for its movies, its music, or its culture (though, let’s be real, Hollywood and McDonald’s have conquered the planet), but for what it represents: economic power, innovation, and global leadership.

I grew up seeing the United States as a beacon of economic power, innovation, and opportunity. Whether it was the rise of Silicon Valley, the global influence of Wall Street, or the countless American companies that transformed industries, the U.S. set the rules of the global economy. For decades, it led from the front, helping developing nations grow, shaping free trade policies, and being a powerful force for progress.

That’s why it terrifies me to see the direction America is heading under Trump’s second term. Not just for Sri Lanka, but for America itself.

For a small country like Sri Lanka, America is not just another trade partner, it’s the biggest one. Nearly one-fourth of everything we sell to the world ends up in the U.S., from the clothes Americans wear to the rubber in their car tires.

Trump’s aggressive stance on tariffs means Sri Lanka is about to get hit, hard. His administration has already announced plans for a blanket 10% tariff on imports, with the possibility of higher tariffs targeting specific sectors. As I write this article, the Trump administration has enacted a 25% tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, while imposing a 10% tariff on goods from China.

Think about what that means for us:

Apparel, our biggest export industry, could lose millions as American brands turn to cheaper alternatives.
Rubber and ceramic exports could collapse under higher costs.
Thousands of Sri Lankan workers; factory workers, farmers, and small business owners could lose their jobs.

And this isn’t just a Sri Lankan problem.

If Trump keeps going down this path, he is setting up the U.S. for an economic war with the very countries that helped build its supply chains. Sri Lanka is just a small piece of a much bigger puzzle, one that’s now being torn apart by reckless trade policies.

Trump doesn’t just want tariffs on China, Mexico and China. He wants tariffs on everyone.

Trump has already threatened to impose a 100% tariff on BRICS nations, with China leading the push for an alternative global reserve currency. Sounds like a problem for China, right? Wrong.

China is the world’s manufacturing powerhouse. A trade war between the U.S. and China means global supply chains get disrupted, shipping costs soar, and suddenly, every country, including Sri Lanka, feels the impact.

If China retaliates (and history shows it will), trade routes could shift, demand could plummet, and developing countries like Sri Lanka could be left scrambling for new buyers in a hostile global market.

We’ve seen this before.

Trump’s first term started a global trade war that wiped out billions in economic value. But back then, Sri Lanka was in a better place. Now? Our economy is hanging by a thread.

Let’s talk about something people don’t mention enough: foreign aid.

Sri Lanka isn’t just struggling with trade. We’re struggling with debt, inflation, and a fragile economic recovery. We need international financial support.

The U.S. has been one of the biggest global contributors to aid programs that help countries like Sri Lanka. But Trump doesn’t believe in aid unless it benefits America directly.

He has already proposed cutting the U.S. foreign aid budget. A move that would cripple funding for programs supporting small businesses, agriculture, healthcare, and disaster relief in Sri Lanka.
His “America First” doctrine means less investment in global partnerships; the very partnerships that helped rebuild economies after crises.
His isolationist policies could weaken global financial institutions like the IMF and World Bank, making it even harder for Sri Lanka to get much-needed debt relief.

And here’s the scary part: If America turns inward, who fills the gap?

Countries like China and Russia, which have very different ideas about international influence. This isn’t just about economics, it’s about who controls the future of the global order.

Why I worry about the U.S. itself

Here’s the paradox: Trump’s policies aren’t just bad for Sri Lanka. They’re bad for the U.S.

I love America. It’s a country that has inspired the world. It’s a country that has pushed forward technology, innovation, and economic progress. But Trump’s return to power threatens everything that made America great.

A trade war could push prices up for everyday Americans, making goods more expensive and inflation worse.
Tariffs on imports won’t bring back U.S. manufacturing overnight; it will just make it more expensive for American businesses to operate.
By alienating trade partners, Trump is weakening the very economic alliances that made the U.S. the most powerful nation on earth.

America isn’t just a country, it’s a leader. And when the leader starts pulling back, the rest of the world follows suit.

That’s what scares me the most.

Because when America stops leading, the world becomes more dangerous.