Trump’s tariffs could impact US weapons production: Report

• President Donald Trump’s global tariff plans, which includes 20% tariffs on European Union imports and 10% on U.K. and Australian goods, could disrupt U.S. weapons manufacturing. According to Politico, there could be an increase in prices and a strain on international partnerships.
• Defense analysts say tariffs may lead to supply shortages and retaliatory measures from allies, making critical supplies more expensive or unavailable.
• Amid escalating tensions, Trump suggested direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program, while Russia warned against attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

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President Donald Trump’s tariffs could threaten U.S. weapons manufacturing and jeopardize America’s ability to sustain its international alliances.

According to a report from Politico, Trump’s global tariff plans, which include 20% tariffs on imports from the European Union and 10% on British and Australian goods, are on track to complicate global supply chains, raise the price of weapons and interfere with international efforts to resist China.

Multiple diplomats, lawmakers and defense industry analysts said that America’s new approach to go it alone, combined with increasing global security threats, may lead to U.S. partners looking elsewhere for collaboration.

“We have requirements, and we’re going to do what makes sense for us. We’re really looking at what we need to develop at home,” an anonymous NATO country diplomat told Politico.

Trump said his tariff plans are necessary to protect American industries, jobs and property from unfair trade practices, particularly from China. 

The White House announced in its executive order this week that the U.S. would need to manufacture parts “without undue reliance on imports for key inputs.”

In an interview with Politico, former Pentagon acquisition official Bill Greenwalt talked about the repercussions.

“There’s going to be shortages of supplies, tit-for-tats and our allies and other partners are going to retaliate,” Greenwalt said. “Some potentially vital supplies are either going to cost a whole heck of a lot more than what they did, or they’re just not going to be available.”

How much is the US military spending on munitions?

President Trump praised the U.S. military this week for carrying out airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis, but Pentagon and military officials told Congress a different story about the success of the mission, according to The New York Times.

The Times reported that in recent closed-door briefings, military officials admitted to only having limited success in destroying the Houthi’s extensive arsenal of missiles and drones after using $200 million worth of munitions in just three weeks, with the total cost likely reaching over one billion dollars by next week.

Any progress in US-Iran talks?

The concern over the impact tariffs could have on weapons production comes as President Trump suggests Iran may agree to direct talks with the United States, despite the intensifying tensions and back-and-forth threats between the two countries.

“I think it’s better if we have direct talks,” Trump told reporters on Thursday, April 3. “It goes faster, and you understand the other side a lot better than if you go through with mediators.”

The Trump administration has been building up sanctions against Iran and aiming to end the country’s oil exports, particularly to China.

Meanwhile, Russia warned against attacks on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure after President Trump threatened to bomb the country if its government doesn’t reach a deal.

Russia’s foreign ministry spokesperson said, “External threats to bomb Iran’s nuclear energy infrastructure would inevitably lead to far-reaching and irreversible consequences.”

Earlier this month, President Trump sent a letter to Iran’s leader, urging Tehran to negotiate over its nuclear program.

Iran’s foreign minister called the letter a “threat” but also said it raised the opportunity for possible negotiations.