Kuala Lampur, July 10 -- The sudden imposition of sweeping tariffs by President Donald Trump in early July - well ahead of the anticipated deadline - signals more than an effort to rectify trade imbalances.

It reflects a calibrated exercise of economic statecraft where tariffs become not only tools of negotiation, but instruments of political pressure.

When viewed in their broader context, these tariffs, despite exempting key sectors such as semiconductors and integrated circuits, are capable of precipitating political instability, policy reversals, and potentially even regime change in targeted states.

Exemptions that signal strategic intent

Significantly, the tariffs exclude semiconductors, motherboards, and integrated circuits - co...