Our "trade war" with Canada is a proxy trade war with China. Our "trade war" with Europe is, to a much more limited degree, a proxy trade war with China.
A big part of the rationale with all of these little trade wars is to make China stand alone on the global stage, so that they are more easily negotiated with. A secondary effect is to eliminate "Made in $country" goods that are 90% manufactured in China and finished in e.g. Italy or Canada.
That doesn't make much sense at all. Ruining goodwill and relationships (and of course trade) with YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ALLIES is certainly not just proxy economic warfare. The EU economy as a whole is bigger than either China or the US.
Don't try to find a logic when there clearly is none. Trade war with EU and Canada might be the most unhelpful thing Trump has done.
>Ruining goodwill and relationships (and of course trade) with YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ALLIES
That's not how this works. A trade tariff dispute doesn't mean anything about the relationships in other matters unless they are brought up as part of the negotiations. Each country isn't a single person being directed by their feelings being hurt.
So we can certainly negotiate with Canada to get them to lift dairy tariffs or whatever and still count on them not to allow Russia to setup air force bases there.
>Umm, sorry for being flippant, but are we reading the same news about US foreign policy last 18 months...? :-/
Not sure. I don't recall any news about the US going to war or halting trade with any of its previous allies. I don't remember reading anything about the five eyes agreements changing. Do you have other news sources?
The phrase being used is "ruining relationships". Maybe you have a different definition of "ruined" if you think Trump has ruined any relationships with allies.
That is something to consider. Interesting. But anyone in the know knows that it is about China. And so, it is about saving face with the general public, not the technocrats.
A big part of the rationale with all of these little trade wars is to make China stand alone on the global stage, so that they are more easily negotiated with. A secondary effect is to eliminate "Made in $country" goods that are 90% manufactured in China and finished in e.g. Italy or Canada.