EU uppges närma sig enighet om handelsbazooka: ”Dags att prata Trumps språk”

The Anti-Coercion Instrument (ACI), nicknamed the trade bazooka, is a regulation of the European Union proposed in December 2021, adopted in November 2023, and that entered into force on 27 December 2023. It aims to protect the EU and its member states from economic coercion by third countries and provides a framework for EU action, including examination, engagement, and the adoption of countermeasures. Combining security policy and trade policy, it is a defence and deterrence tool designed to prevent coercion by creating penalties for whichever country is performing the coercion. Analytically, one conference proceeding from 2025 introduces the term "geo-legality" to describe how the EU deploys its legal-normative authority, including the ACI, as leverage to counter external (economic) pressure. Among the coercive measures against which it could be used are boycotts and trade restrictions. In addition, an earlier version of the ACI contained proposed mechanisms for compensation to affected member states; the final Instrument, instead, provides a framework for seeking reparation from the coercing country. The ACI had originally been developed primarily as a deterrence tool against China. As of January 2026, the ACI has not yet been used. In 2026, EU leaders are weighing its potential first use against the United States in response to the Greenland crisis. The Agreement on Reciprocal, Fair, and Balanced Trade, an asymmetrical free trade agreement with the United States, was put on hold by EU leaders in response.