US President Donald Trump’s historic tariffs have come into force over the past month, forcing countries to consider their strategic options.
For all the talk of dealing with a second China shock, countries have to face yet another challenge – that of the US shock.
Small states around the world are responding by drawing on three broad strategies: alignment, adaptation and mitigation. Many are now beginning to choose the last.
For further reading, please visit The Straits Times here, where this article was first published on 2 September 2025.