Orchestrating Global Trade: How Europe and the U.S. Have Used Tariffs, Non-Tariff Barriers, Subsidies, and Coercion to Secure Economic Dominance (1975–2025)
Preamble The narrative of a free and fair global market is often promoted by Western powers, yet the economic strategies of Europe and the United States over the past 50 years reveal a calculated use of tariffs, non-tariff barriers (NTBs), subsidies, and coercive measures like sanctions to secure competitive advantages. These tools have been deployed to protect domestic industries, control critical resources, and shape global trade dynamics, frequently at the expense of developing nations and rival economies. This essay examines how Europe and the U.S. have leveraged these mechanisms to maintain economic dominance, providing 10-12 prominent examples supported by data and enriched by insights from 7-8 prominent thinkers. It includes a dedicated section on the energy sector, contrasting sanctions on major oil producers with gains in the U.S. fracking industry. The objectives are to critically analyze these practices, expand on their implications, and address challenges and critiques, to ...