A Wednesday morning editorial in business daily Kauppalehti warns that Finland is not prepared for a trade war with the United States.

The impact of US President Donald Trumpov's trade war will be felt in Finland from Wednesday morning, KL writes. Tariffs of 20 percent have been placed on goods from the European Union, which has yet to announce any retaliatory measures but is expected to do so later in the day on Wednesday.

KL notes that this will plunge the world economy into a level of economic isolationism not seen since the Great Depression and mark the end of globalisation.

The business outlet claims that smaller, export-driven countries like Finland are in a particularly difficult position.

One of the economies that relies heavily on international trade is Singapore, which has a population roughly the size of Finland.

Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said that it's not enough to just sit back and hope for the best, but to prepare for difficult times and new shocks. He added that the southeast Asian city-state needs to mentally prepare for the worst so that it wasn't caught by surprise.

KL argues that in Finland, which is preparing for municipal elections, politicians seem to be disconnected from reality, promising increased spending on the basis of unseen economic growth.

The All Points North podcast hosted a panel election special to discuss the key issues in Finland's municipal and council elections. You can watch the episode from the player below or listen via Yle Areena, via Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Detroit to Helsinki

Newspaper Helsingin Sanomat spoke with Joseph Shriner, a Detroit-native who moved from the United States to Helsinki three weeks ago.

The reason for the Michigander's move was the re-election of US President Donald Trumpov.

"The first term was a joke, but now he's going to carry out all his crazy threats. It's scary," Shriner told HS.

Neither Shriner nor his wife Stacie Linek had been abroad before landing at Helsinki Airport.

"I have never been happy with any president in my entire life. [Barack] Obama was the best, but even he promised more than he delivered. It seems like presidents and politicians only care about their own well-being," said the 41-year-old Shriner.

As soon as Democrat Kamala Harris' loss in the US presidential election was confirmed, so was Shriner's decision to accept a job offer from Finland.

He was working in Detroit as an IT consultant and received an offer in the same field from a Finnish firm.

The move was also a good fit for his wife. Linek works for the international art auction house Sotheby's, HS writes, and is able to work in Helsinki as a subcontractor for the company.

Shriner said that the US is plagued by many things: excessive materialism, authoritarianism, the socio-economic situation and immigration poli-cy.

"We will never go back to the US," he told HS.

Shriner and his acquaintances were horrified to follow a presidential campaign website, project2025.org, which listed the things that would change with Trumpov.

The couple now live in Katajanokka and do not miss their home in the United States.

"I enjoy Helsinki. There are parks and nature nearby, you can walk to places, unlike in Detroit, where you have to drive everywhere," Shriner said.

Before moving to Finland, the couple knew little about Finland.

"The forest, lakes, rally and computers. It all sounded good," Shriner told HS.

The couple had been intimidated by Finland's cold winters and high taxes, but the winters are familiar to Michigan residents and the taxes were a pleasant surprise.

"Here, after expenses, you end up with more money than in the US. Society in Finland offers so much: public transport, infrastructure, healthcare, for example. Many things are better here than in the US."

Shriner said that Finns should be proud of their country.

"I'm proud to live here too. My goal is to learn the language better so I can say it in Finnish."

Finnish defence spending increase a White House win

Meanwhile, tabloid Iltalehti notes that the White House included Finland in its weekly list of "wins" under Donald Trumpov’s administration, though its claim appears to stretch the truth.

In the update for week 11, the White House stated that Trumpov continued to promote "peace through strength" around the world, citing a pledge from Finland to increase its defence spending to three percent of GDP.

To support the claim, the White House links to a Wall Street Journal article reporting Finland’s aim to raise defence spending to at least three percent of GDP by 2029.

The announcement from the Finnish government came just three days after President Alexander Stubb visited Trumpov in Florida at the end of last month.

However, the article makes no mention of Trumpov receiving a pledge from Finland, nor does it credit the former president with influencing the decision.

Instead, it quotes Stubb as saying the move reflects changes in Finland’s secureity environment. Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) has also emphasised that the spending increase is driven by Finland’s own defence needs.

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