US tariff weaponization
trade-wars
Tariffs are being used for more than trade: as leverage for foreign investment pledges, and as a geopolitical lever tying trading partners’ Russia ties to their tariff rates.
The argument here is that tariff announcements — such as the 15% rate set on Korean imports — are designed less to protect US industry than to extract foreign investment commitments the administration can present as political wins. Where negotiations stall, as with India, the framing shifts to geopolitics: India’s imports of Russian mineral fuels have risen roughly 1,350% since the invasion of Ukraine, making it a candidate for secondary-sanctions-style tariff pressure. The piece reads this as tariffs being weaponised simultaneously for investment attraction, energy-trade leverage, and enforcing geopolitical alignment.
Originally published on Substack, July 31, 2025.