Trump’s tariff plan threatens US weapons production and allied defense ties

President Donald Trump’s proposed global tariff regime is facing growing scrutiny from defense industry leaders and foreign allies, reports Politico, who warn it could disrupt weapons production, drive up costs, and undermine international defense partnerships critical to countering China and Russia.

The tariffs—up to 20 percent on goods from the European Union and 10 percent on imports from the United Kingdom and Australia—apply across the board, including to defense-related materials. That means key programs like the F-35 fighter jet and the AUKUS submarine partnership could face significant delays or collapse altogether due to rising costs and fractured supply chains.

“The prices that DOD has to pay are going to go up,” Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) told Politico, noting that many US weapons systems rely on complex global inputs that cross borders multiple times.

The Defense Department has spent decades cultivating a globally integrated industrial base. Industry experts and officials from allied countries warn that the administration’s go-it-alone approach could strain those partnerships. “We count on the US for the best equipment,” said a European official, “but European industrial capacity has greatly improved … we want to be security providers.”

Calls for a defense-specific exemption are growing, including from the US Chamber of Commerce and some Republican lawmakers. But with no carve-out in the current executive order, supply shortages and higher procurement costs appear likely.

Former Pentagon official Bill Greenwalt warned of “ripple effects” that could take years to correct. “You don’t snap your fingers and the supply network readjusts itself,” he said.