Trump got his deals thanks to leverage over other countries’ deep economic and security ties to the US, says the WSJ. But in the coming years, “that leverage will wane as those countries cultivate markets elsewhere and build up their own militaries. The resulting international system will be less dependent on the US – and less stable.”

Mr. Trump has also offered carrots, including tax breaks, less red tape and a plan to fast-track investment from approved companies. But his administration paired those carrots with sticks: higher tariff rates unless countries provided attractive deals for the United States.