Chinese Consulate General in Durban Li Zhigong and KZN Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli interacting during a recent event in Durban.
Image: Picture: Tumi Pakkies/ Independent Newspapers.
SINCE March 2025, the US government has imposed unilateral tariffs on over 180 countries and regions under pretexts such as “protecting domestic industries” and “addressing the fentanyl crisis,” targeting steel, aluminum, automotive parts, and even daily consumer goods.
These shortsighted measures not only violate WTO rules but also destabilise global supply chains through economic coercion, plunging the world economy into turmoil.
History repeatedly proves that unilateralism ultimately backfires, while cooperation remains the only viable path forward.
Affect of economic bullying
The US tariff hikes aim to export domestic crises globally. Take steel and aluminium tariffs: the 25% levy, framed as “protecting manufacturing,” has instead inflated raw material costs, forcing downstream industries, like automobiles and appliances, to raise prices, with consumers bearing the burden.
Studies show these tariffs could eliminate 100000 US jobs, contradicting claims of “safeguarding employment.”
More destructively, US tariff weaponisation threatens developing economies. WTO estimates indicate global merchandise trade could shrink by 1%, disproportionately impacting export-reliant nations. Vietnam, a leading textile exporter, saw orders halved after US tariffs, leaving 30% of its small-to-medium textile firms at risk of bankruptcy.
Rising unemployment now undermines economic growth, with the UN warning such policies jeopardise the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and widen global inequality.
Global pushback through rules based resistance
Confronting US coercion, nations are counter-attacking with legal tools. The EU imposed retaliatory tariffs on $26 billion of US goods, while Canada and Brazil launched WTO disputes condemning Washington’s erosion of multilateral trade.
Vietnam’s Foreign Ministry denounced the tariffs as “disrupting regional economic stability,” and Brazilian scholars branded the US “the prime destabiliser of the global economy.”
Even US allies are rebelling, exposing the isolation of its policies.
Domestic industries also suffer: JPMorgan Chase warns of a 60% US recession risk, while Wall Street has lost trillions in market value due to tariff-induced uncertainty.
China’s defence of multi-lateralism
Responding to US tariffs linked to fentanyl accusations, China’s Commerce Ministry refuted the claims as “baseless unilateral bullying,” emphasising its strict compliance with UN drug control conventions.
A Foreign Ministry spokesperson condemned Washington’s “America First” agenda for trampling international rules and suppressing nations’ development rights, vowing global resistance.
China has initiated WTO proceedings, reaffirming its commitment to multilateral-dispute resolution. Through platforms like the China International Import Expo and the Belt and Road Initiative, it continues driving openness, stabilising the global economy.
The 2025 Government Work Report reiterated China’s strategy to deepen international co-operation, accelerate innovation, and promote green transitions.
The Irreversible Tide of History
US tariff aggression exposes its inability to resolve structural domestic crises. Morgan Stanley research reveals US manufacturing reshoring lags at less than one-third of projected rates, exposing “industrial revival” as political rhetoric.
In contrast, open economies thrive: Germany’s Handelsblatt notes China contributes 38% to global industrial growth, cementing its role as an anchor of stability.
Globalisation remains unstoppable. China stands ready to collaborate with nations in upholding the WTO-centered multilateral system and opposing economic coercion.
As emphasized in the G20 Summit Declaration, only rulesbased co-operation ensures sustainable growth. Should the US persist in unilateralism, the international community will unite to defend shared interests.
DAILY NEWS
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