'Cold War mentality' hidden in US unilateral protectionism
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The US igniting a trade war has resulted in negative impacts in different aspects. Not only has it caused serious damage to the global industrial chain and hindered global economic growth, it has also put the world’s economic and trade structure at risk by practicing a “Cold War mentality” of trade protectionism and unilateralism.

While taking necessary counter-measures against the US imposed tariffs, the world needs to eliminate the negative influence that American rhetoric has caused to international relations. It also needs to push the global governance system back on the right track.

To start – let’s look at what the US has said and done while instigating this trade war.

The US has, first and foremost, started placing misleading labels on other countries, leading to the politicizing of economic and trade issues. The National Security Strategy and National Defense Strategy, unveiled by the Trump administration, labeled other countries as “revisionist countries” and “strategic competitors.” US President Donald trump also openly accused some countries of being “dishonest” and “weak.” Both of these strategies point to the fact that the Trump administration favors unilateralism.

The US also initiated a Section 232 Investigation. It has a type of investigation that has not been used for some 16 years. The US launched this investigation on products including steel, aluminum, and automotive parts, then imposed tariffs on many countries and regions while exempting just a few. The US investigations are seen as a major violation of multilateral rules created by the World Trade Organization (WTO) and are harmful to many countries.

The Trump administration is acting perfidiously by withdrawing from multilateral organizations and its prior agreements. The Trump administration is now running without following the basic concept of international law, and is ignoring the country’s prior commitments by eschewing its credibility. It has also withdrawn from the Paris Agreement and the United Nations Human Rights Council. What the US has done is a typical example of exquisite egoism.

It seems that the Trump administration despises multilateralism, according to its actions, and flagrantly violates the WTO rules. The US violated a major commitment by performing a Section 301 Investigation respectfully to the WTO rules, which was made in 1994’s “Statement of Administrative Action.” The US imposed tariffs on other countries based on the result of Section 301 Investigation and opposed the selection process of the Appellate Body, which caused the WTO to face the closure of the Appellate Body.

The concept of national security has also been abused by the Trump administration, and is strengthening the control of advanced technologies under this philosophy. In terms of trade, it has tightened restrictions on the export of high-tech products to other countries by changing its policies. The US has also frequently denied investments by foreign companies on the pretext of security review, especially those involving high-tech fields.

Last month, the US House of Representatives and Senate passed the "Foreign Investment Risk Review Modernization Act," which broadens the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the US to investigate and block foreign transactions by citing security concerns.

All of the recent actions by the US showcases a “Cold War mentality.” The “zero-sum” belief of the US, coupled with reckless behavior regardless of international rules, is starting to make the country look paranoid.

The US typically prides itself on being an “advocate of globalization” and the “defender of free trade,” but now the US is implementing unilateralism and trade protectionism practices, which hinders economic globalization.

The “zero-sum” concept is an outdated mindset, and those who hold on to this philosophy only see international trade activities as a cruel game that can only result in “you win, I lose” situations. All they see are opponents and threats, and their mindset distorts the concept of “win-win” relations to be an illusion.

The US, by acting in such an outdated mindset, is now hurting itself and is lashing out at the multilateral system – which hurts international relations.

These are not blind considerations either, since the Trump administration is uniting behind the “America first” slogan and its idea of being isolated against the world. The White House and Trump administration is building up its alliances by focusing on targets that are against the “America first” mindset, while also building a confrontational atmosphere.

Most of the world’s population knows about the problems that came during the Cold War. Any rational person would not want to go back to that time period where peace was fragile and the future seemed hopeless. It is important to note that the only people who want to go back to this “Cold War mentality” are also the ones interested in practicing unilateral protectionism.