President Trump’s announcement of sweeping tariffs on America’s trading partners has widened the rift between the United States and some of its closest allies, while reconfiguring the global economic order.
Mr. Trump’s plan, which he unveiled on Wednesday and is calling “reciprocal,” would impose a wave of tariffs on dozens of countries. The European Union will face 20 percent tariffs, but the heavier levies will fall on countries in Asia, hitting friends and foes alike. Security partners Japan and South Korea will face tariffs of 24 and 26 percent respectively, while China will absorb an additional 34 percent on top of existing levies.
Some leaders reacted strongly to the wave of tariffs, which many see as overturning the global trade order that the United States established after World War II.
“The global economy will massively suffer,” Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, said in a statement Thursday. “Uncertainty will spiral, and trigger the rise of further protectionism.”
While many countries seemed at a loss as to how to react, at least one seized the moment to score political points. China turned the tables on the United States by condemning the tariffs as a “unilateral” violation of international rules — the same language that Washington has used to criticize Chinese efforts to redraw territorial boundaries in the East and South China Seas.
“The United States has drawn the so-called ‘reciprocal tariffs’ based on subjective and unilateral assessments,” the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said in a statement. “It is a typical unilateral bullying practice.”
Japan and South Korea, two of America’s most stalwart allies, reacted to the tariffs with dismay. In Tokyo, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba called the tariffs “extremely regrettable” but refrained from talk of retaliation. Instead, he said his government would continue to seek an exemption by reminding the Trump administration that Japan is America’s largest overseas investor.
“If it becomes appropriate for me to speak directly to President Trump, I will not hesitate to do so at the most appropriate time and in the most appropriate way,” Mr. Ishiba told reporters.
In South Korea, the acting president, Han Duck-soo, convened an emergency task force. He vowed to use “all government resources to overcome a trade crisis” by seeking aggressive negotiations with the United States.
There was also disappointment that Mr. Trump proved unwilling to spare America’s two oldest Asian allies.
“Our close partners appear to be treated similarly to our rivals,” said Wendy Cutler, a former U.S. trade negotiator who is now vice president of Asia Society Policy Institute. “Asian countries in particular have been hard hit, causing them sharp economic pain given their export-driven economies.”
Analysts said China may see a diplomatic opportunity. Mr. Trump imposed some of the highest tariffs on the smaller nations in Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, a producer of shoes and clothing bought by Americans, which now faces a levy of 46 percent.
China’s top leader, Xi Jinping, will be visiting the region in coming days, when he may seek to present his nation as a more reasonable and dependable trading partner.
“In terms of who’s going to be there and reaping their geopolitical reward, it’s China,” said Susannah Patton, director of the Southeast Asia Program at Australia’s Lowy Institute.
Exiger, a data analytics firm, calculated that the burden from the tariffs could fall heaviest on Chinese exports, which would face $149 billion in additional surcharges, while Vietnamese goods would face $63 billion, Taiwanese products $37 billion and Japanese goods $36 billion. The firm called the announcement a “monumental policy shift that will reshape sourcing, pricing and geopolitical strategy.”
In Europe, nations have announced plans to retaliate to an earlier wave of steel and aluminum tariffs, and they have been clear that they will respond to the growing trade conflict with further measures if negotiations fail — including, potentially, by creating barriers for services like big technology companies.
The European Union’s willingness to push back could hurt American producers and consumers. Taken as a whole, its 27 nations account for nearly a fifth of American imports, and European consumers are a huge market for American services.
Others nations hit by the tariffs took a wait-and-see approach.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia said the United States imposing 10 percent tariffs on the country had “no basis in logic.” But Australia would not race to retaliate, he said, saying the country would not “join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth.”
In Mexico and Canada, there was a sense of muted relief that they would not be subject to new tariffs beyond those previously announced. “This is good news for the country,” said Luis de la Calle, a top Mexican trade economist. “It allows us to safeguard our access to U.S. markets.”
Many nations are still trying to figure out Mr. Trump’s objective in imposing the tariffs.
At times, he has talked about forcing automakers, drugmakers and other manufacturers to move factories — and factory jobs — back to the United States. However, Mr. Trump has also spoken of tariffs as a way to pay for tax cuts.
Knowing his endgame could shape how countries respond to the tariffs.
Europe, for instance, has made a forceful response by announcing retaliatory tariffs on whiskey, motorcycles, farm goods and a wide range of other products in response to steel and aluminum levies. But it may also be willing to negotiate if it knows, for example, that Mr. Trump wants a more balanced flow of trade.
Many European nations are also in the same boat as Japan and South Korea: dependent on the United States for their security. These countries must now balance a need to persuade Mr. Trump to uphold American military commitments — not a given with his America First agenda — while weighing whether to retaliate for the trade measures.
“These countries face a real dilemma,” said Kurt Tong, a former senior U.S. diplomat and managing partner at The Asia Group. “They can’t afford to have an antagonistic relationship with the United States, but on the other hand they are being treated badly. They will have to find a way to thread this needle.”
David Pierson contributed reporting from Hong Kong; Sui-Lee Wee from Bangkok; Choe Sang-Hun from Seoul; Natalie Kitroeff and Paulina Villegas from Mexico City; Ian Austen from Windsor, Ontario; River Akira Davis from Tokyo; and Victoria Kim from Canberra, Australia.
