Photo from Reuters
By Karolina Granda, editor in chief
Power dynamics
In the movie Mean Girls, Regina George uses her wealth and status to establish a power dynamic over the entire student body of North Shore High School. The meaner she becomes, the more support she gains and the more powerful she is. This comes to an end when reality literally strikes her in the face, and she is hit with a bus. This similar power dynamic can be seen in our reality, taking a step from high heels into golf shoes and the hit of a golf club in the White House’s backyard. Of course, President Trump believes he has the world at his fingertips with his recent capturing of President Maduro, Venezuelan oil, and the upcoming plots to obtain Greenland’s natural resources. Much like Regina George, his status, wealth, and ego are granting him success in these directions. For those of us wondering when it will be his ego’s turn to be hit by a bus, such inquiries may come to a halt with the effects of the Mercosur deal.
What is the Mercosur deal?
Mercosur is an agreement to trade goods without tariffs between the European Union (EU) and South America. It was proposed at the end of 2024 before President Trump’s second inauguration. If it went into effect now, it would help European and South American countries avoid the threatened tariffs President Trump has proposed on eight European nations who don’t support his desired power grab for Greenland.
How will this impact the U.S. economy?
This deal will negatively impact the United States’ economy through our decline of international markets for products grown and made here, and a decreased availability of items from Europe should those countries cut off all trade with the US. The losers are US consumers and workers whose budgets are already feeling the impact of the tariffs imposed in 2025.
Declining access to international resources
According to the New York Times on Jan. 9, 2026, the question lies in whether Trump is “building a lasting basis on which America can interact with the rest of the world” on account of the fact that “Mr. Trump’s policies are helping ‘to create a world without America.'” Trump has increased tariffs on international goods in hopes that American-owned companies, farmers, and businesses would gain the majority of profits by encouraging consumers to purchase their products. Unfortunately, these price differences have made consumers too inclined to purchase U.S. based goods, straying away from international ones. If you’re going into your local Jewel Osco trying to show a little love to your wallet this Valentine’s Day, let’s be honest, you’ll be reaching for the cheapest strawberries in store, which will more than likely be U.S. based. Moreover, this means that the countries we trade with are not making a worthwhile profit as it is, and as this new deal with South America lists no tariffs, it will give the rest of the world an even slimmer reason as to continuing trading with the US. Additionally, your luck at finding a bar of chocolate to pair with your berries may become just as successful as purchasing a roll of toilet paper during the 2020 Covid pandemic. As the United States sources all of its cocoa beans and chocolate from South America, companies such as Fannie May, Hershey’s, and M&M’s will struggle to keep up with their supply.
Subsidies will result in increased financial burden
According to a December 2024 post by CNN, the Mercosur deal would be equivalent to “slashing red tape and removing tariffs on products like Italian wine, Argentine steak, Brazilian oranges and German Volkswagens.” The reason as to why we import beef, for example, from Brazil in the first place is because it is cheaper to raise livestock there than it would be for us to raise and feed all livestock within the United States. Beef prices have already soared in double digits in 2025; losing key trading partners will not lower the cost of beef in 2026. As Moraine students already struggle to keep up with financing their tuition, housing, transportation, books, clothing, and of course, food price, this deal will place a greater strain on students’ wallets. The simultaneous management of all of these expenditures can already be argued as being unreasonable for the average college student, and the Mercosur deal will move these standards to an unrealistic standard.
Summary
The United States economy will be negatively impacted by the Mercosur deal as it will result in the decline of international resources and will result in the increased financial strain that subsidizing these goods and resources within the country will have. When it comes to the movie Mean Girls, Regina George’s ego and power hierarchy can quickly be dismissed with just the click of a button. However, the dismissal of the implications of this trade deal cannot rely on a bus to clear them out of our sight. The impacts of the Mercosur deal on the American people are unavoidable and so we must stay educated on the escalations of this matter.
