From Tokyo to Berlin, U.S. allies are hitting pause on their Washington playbooks as tariff tensions rewrite the rules of global trade. Japan just dropped a diplomatic bombshell: No more quick deals. 🚗🇯🇵
Japan's Sharp Turn
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba shocked observers this week by rejecting rushed negotiations with America—a 180 from his earlier soft stance. With U.S. car tariffs skyrocketing from 2.5% to 27.5%, Japan's auto industry (and 12 million jobs) hang in the balance. 🚨
Europe Sounds the Alarm
Germany's incoming chancellor Friedrich Merz compared the tariff chaos to 'laying tracks for the next financial crisis'. Meanwhile, Canada turned up the heat with retaliatory tariffs designed to 'cause maximum pain' to U.S. industries. 🇨🇦🔥
Investors Hit the Brakes
Major pension funds are now rethinking U.S. investments. A Canadian fund insider revealed it's 'incredibly difficult' to justify new American deals amid the policy rollercoaster. 📉
While the EU holds back direct countermeasures, officials privately admit: The Trump-era alliance system is gone for good. As Macron joins the caution chorus, the big question looms: Can Washington's partnerships survive this stress test? 💸🌐
