The Trump administration’s sanctions policy could matter more than its use of tariffs
28 Jan 2025 01:53 PM
EXPERT COMMENT
US use of sanctions has ballooned. Yet Venezuela shows the failure both of ‘maximum pressure’ tactics and attempts to leverage sanctions for ambitious goals. A review is urgently needed.
Since his inauguration, most of the world’s attention has focused on President Donald Trump’s professed love of tariffs. But the new administration has said relatively little about its intentions surrounding the use of sanctions.
There have been two notable exceptions: Trump has announced he would impose more sanctions on Russia if it refused to end its ‘ridiculous war’ in Ukraine. And over the weekend, the president threatened to impose sanctions on Colombia (alongside tariffs) if the country did not accept military deportation flights from the US. (Bogota has since backed down).
For now, Trump’s broader long-term strategy for the use of sanctions remains unclear. Yet it may do more to shape international politics, economics and alliances than his use of tariffs.
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