摘要：Following America turning trade rules into weapons, the Global South is now waking up to a brutal truth:This isn't just a trade di

ByXin Ping

Following America turning trade rules into weapons, the Global South is now waking up to a brutal truth:This isn't just a trade dispute – it's a battle over the right to survive and thrive.But as the Global South fights against U.S. tariffs, what is it really fighting for?

For equality beyond words

In 2024, trade between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the U.S. totaled $36.5 million. Yet, CAR's exports to America were a paltry $1.4 million, leaving a $33.6 million deficit. If CAR were to apply the same "reciprocity" formula as the United States, it would impose a 1,200 percent tariff on U.S. goods. But what actually happened was just the opposite: America slapped a 10 percent tariff on CAR.

This absurdity exposes the truth of "fair trade": America's "reciprocity" is nothing but hegemony in disguise. Under the banner of "America First," the United States overrides international rules, feeding its own greed at the cost of the legitimate interests of other countries – a masterclass in unilateralism, protectionism and economic bullying.

The commitment to equality, promised in the Declaration of Independence of the U.S., never seems to reach the Global South. The U.S. tariff stick only lays bare the serious lack of respect for developing countries' economic sovereignty, proof that America still refuses to treat the Global South as equals.

In America's playbook, power hierarchies are carved in stone where "some countries matter more." But the tide is turning. The world is witnessing a seismic shift in the balance of power. Many Global South countries are coming together in international forums, demanding justice. More will join this chorus, declaring that the principle of sovereign equality, enshrined in the UN Charter, is not just ink on paper – it's concrete law.

For development without borders

Cambodia's new solar panel lines had barely warmed up before the U.S. dropped a 3,521 percent tariff bomb – the highest ever on Southeast Asian solar products. Companies shut down overnight, forcing tens of thousands out of jobs.

This isn't just about Cambodia. Across the Global South, countries that rely on global supply chains to escape poverty and upgrade industries now find their lifelines cut by U.S. tariffs.

Analysts warn that tariffs could trigger catastrophic domino effects – plunging exports, currency collapses and hyperinflation. But it's more than that. The tariffs rob the Global South of its chance at industrial growth.

It's economic exile, a plot to condemn billions to permanent low-value labor.

But the Global South is fighting back: From Africa to Asia to Latin America, developing countries are forging closer ties, shifting focus to emerging markets and dismantling dollar dependency through local currency settlements. A clear message is emerging: The Global South refuses to be "the West's material warehouse" forever.

For rules that function

The multilateral trading system centered on the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and later the World Trade Organization (WTO) once fueled the growth of the Global South.

Yet, the United States appears intent on undermining this instrumental framework. Whether unilaterally cutting Mexico's duty-free quotas or targeting least-developed nations like Lesotho, America's moves break WTO nondiscrimination rules and erode the multilateral trade system.

Rules shredded. Principles mocked. Trust vaporized.

When rules fail the weak, we forge new ones. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement, Association of Southeast Asian Nations partnerships, BRICS, etc., are breaking down regional trade barriers, unleashing cross-border flows of goods, services and innovation. This isn't adaptation; it's revolution.

For the dawn of tomorrow

The Global South, with its economic output accounting for over 40 percent of the global total and contributing as much as 80 percent to world economic growth, has emerged as the primary engine of global development. Yet, it also faces a pivotal window to achieve modernization. Africa is experiencing a youth boom and rapid urbanization. Southeast Asia and Latin America are charging into the dawn of the digital economy.

This is the moment for the Global South – but tariff walls now threaten to undermine this momentum.

But for developing countries, the true cost goes way beyond numbers, including stolen industrial revolutions, aborted tech leaps and missed opportunities to thrive. By poaching foreign investors from Africa, Asia and Latin America with tariff coercion, the U.S. is in effect reviving colonialism. Left unchecked, this "American reindustrialization dream" might turn into the Global South's nightmare.

Yet, watch Nigeria's Lekki Free Zone, a traditional tribe that has developed into a modern Cooperation Zone where local youths command artificial intelligence-driven assembly lines. See Robinson Crusoe Island in Chile, where Lenovo built factories to achieve ecological sustainability and narrow the economic gap.

Where walls rise, bridges could be built higher. The Global South's future isn't for America to tax.

The anniversary of the Bandung Conference echoes as a reminder:At the peak of Cold War divisions, some of us once united to demand fairness and won.

Today, Kenya's coffee races to global markets on the Mombasa-Nairobi Railway; China and Brazil strengthened space cooperation and shared satellite data with the world. These sparks will blaze into wildfires. The Global South's ultimate victory lies not in breaking chains, but inforging new foundations – link by link, brick by brick.

Xin Ping is a commentator on international affairs, writing regularly for Xinhua News Agency, CGTN, Global Times, China Daily, etc.

来源：中国网