Donald Trump's recent spree of trade deals—with Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Japan—has been hailed as "HUGE WINS," yet these agreements are little more than the same old trick. Marketed as "mutual benefit," these pacts are far from fair-they're a calculated setup designed to privilege US corporations by leveraging geopolitical power to impose one-sided terms.
The pattern here isn't just haphazard—it's a deliberate strategy to exploit weaker economies. The US requires these countries to offer "zero tariffs for US goods" while slapping high tariffs on their exports: 19% for Indonesia and the Philippines, 15% for Japan, and 20% for Vietnam. This isn't negotiation—it is coercion. Trump's team made it clear: agree by August 1, or face even steeper tariffs—32% for Indonesia, and 25% for Japan. The tariff rates that these countries are currently facing are just softened versions of the harsher tariffs threatened by Trump's team—a supposed show of "good faith" from the US to mask its coercive tactics.
Look closer at the fine print, and you'll see the real goal: The US is forcing purchases to prop up its own businesses. Indonesia, for example, has to buy $15 billion in US energy, $4.5 billion in farm products, and 50 Boeing jets—deals that serve American corporations more than Indonesia's needs. "For the first time ever, our Ranchers, Farmers, and Fishermen will have Complete and Total Access to the Indonesian Market," Trump declared, but that "access" comes at the cost of Indonesia's own producers, who now face tariff-free US competition. Japan, too, is on the hook for a $550 billion "investment" in the US, with "90% of profits" flowing back to America, as Trump bragged. These aren't market choices. They're mandates written into the deals.
The impact is already evident, and it's lopsided. Indonesian analyst Bhima Yudhistira argues that the 19% tariff disadvantages Indonesia and carries a high risk for Indonesia's trade balance—a concern that matters because Indonesia's trade surplus with the US hit $17.9 billion last year. Vietnam's government was "reportedly surprised" by the 20% tariff and still hasn't "formally accepted key terms." Trump noted in a post that the Philippines will "open their market to the US with zero tariffs" but "pay a 19% tariff" on its exports, a one-sided swap that pulls Manila closer to US strategic interests. Meanwhile, US corporations like Boeing and farm giants are already celebrating these deals as victories, confirming themselves as the unambiguous beneficiaries.
These deals aren't "historic"—they're total scams. Trump's narrative of "fair trade" obscures a stark reality: the US weaponizes dominance to enrich its corporations, while other countries pay the price. The tariffs, the forced purchases, the threats—none of this is about "winning" for ordinary people. It's about protecting the powerful. And that's not a deal—it's a systemic exploitation.
(Scriptwriting: Angelo, Hughie; Video Editing: Jatin Lee; Voiceover: Song Yiyang; English Editor: Zoey Sun)
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