What Trump tariffs, new global economic order mean for Kenya

US President Donald Trump during the National Prayer Breakfast at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on February 6, 2025. [AFP]

As the United States pivots inward, embracing protectionist policies under President Donald Trump, the rest of the world must reckon with a new economic reality defined by transactional trade relations, strategic tariffs, and recalibrated global alliances. For Kenya, the message is clear: The days of depending on generous market access to foreign economies, particularly the US, are numbered.

The global trade regime is undergoing a seismic shift. Free trade and open markets formed the cornerstone of international economic cooperation for decades. However, under Trump's administration, that model is being challenged. Citing a need to correct the US trade imbalance, Trump has turned to tariffs-duties targeting imports from Canada, Mexico, China, and Colombia-as his primary tool of economic policy.