*Basically, make especially nice to everybody else who's not American while quietly kicking their American shins under the table.
*What else could they do, really? They move kinda slow by the standards of a nation-state, but as a continental bloc and trading empire, they do what seems pragmatic. I'd be guessing this is what they're really gonna do.
If this stuff starts happening soon, don't act all surprised
(...)
"Europe needs to prepare its strategic response in case the US openly defies the multilateral order and slides into protectionism. First, the EU should collaborate with partners around the world in defence of the WTO and other multilateral agreements such as the Paris climate pact. For example, if President Trump follows through on his tweets and imposes tariffs on Mexican imports, the EU could team up with Japan and others to defend Mexican rights and protect foreign investments in the country.
"Second, the EU should accelerate work on deeper economic relations with China and other global partners. (((Especially China. I don't see Russia, or post-EU Britain, or any Anglophone country getting much of a look-in from the editorialist here.)))
"it is equally important to advance with other countries, such as Japan, Singapore and the Mercosur bloc. And all these bilateral deals should be designed in such a way that it is eventually possible to integrate them into a more multilateral framework.
"And finally, the EU should prepare tools that could be deployed bilaterally against the USA. These include WTO-compatible anti-subsidy measures and possibly tax changes...."
