The international blowback to Trump’s tariff reversal has been fast—and fierce. Germany’s Economy Minister demanded a “decisive EU response,” while France is pushing Brussels to activate its harshest trade countermeasures. Canada’s Prime Minister Carney slammed the tariffs as “economic aggression,” pledging to rally the G7 against what he calls Trump’s “extremist” trade doctrine. Meanwhile, Japan and South Korea are preparing targeted retaliations of their own.

‍

At the heart of the outrage isn’t just the tariffs—it’s the unpredictability. Just weeks ago, the White House signaled delay. Now, the auto tariffs are live, and more are coming. Trump has vowed further levies if countries “coordinate economic harm” against the U.S., transforming a policy shift into a full-scale geopolitical rupture. With the dollar weakening, inflation flaring, and trade rules upended, April 2 now looms not as a headline event—but a potential global realignment.