Bangladesh, April 21 -- In the era of renewed global trade protectionism, US President Donald Trumps tariff policies-designed to promote American industry and reduce dependency on foreign imports-are reverberating far beyond their intended targets. While headlines have focused largely on US-China trade frictions or the implications for American consumers, a less examined but highly consequential outcome is the deepening realignment between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations and Asia. Whats emerging is a significant shift in global economic and geopolitical dynamics: a “pivot to Asia” from the Gulf that is simultaneously inviting renewed interest from Europe.

Trumps tariffs were initially aimed at countering what he fr...