The Founding Fathers were unusually prescient, but even they may not have had President Donald J Trump in mind for the future of the United States market. What was once the world’s most predictable, business and ally-friendly economy has entered a permacrisis, defined by its political turmoil, regulatory whiplash and escalating reputational risks.

The US remains too big and influential to ignore, but growing your business in the US now demands agility, foresight and an ironclad strategy to navigate trade wars, policy reversals and a political climate in which volatility is the only certainty. Foreign companies eyeing US expansion aren’t just facing typical business hurdles—they’re stepping into a minefield of regulatory scrutiny, protectionist policies and public relations landmines waiting to detonate.

For many UK and European companies, the challenge runs deeper than operations and policy. Messaging pillars that resonate powerfully at home—such as environmental responsibility, corporate social justice, and sustainability—risk becoming political lightning rods in today’s America.

Should brands dial down these narratives to avoid backlash? Or stand firm, preserving integrity abroad while accepting they may draw fire in a divided US market?

There is no single solution, but the most successful companies are finding ways to localise their global values without abandoning them. Rather than centring sustainability messaging on moral imperatives, for example, they reframe it in terms of American priorities—highlighting innovation, job creation or national security.

Environmental responsibility becomes less about carbon footprints and more about energy independence or economic resilience. Companies are also recognising the value of building alliances with respected US organisations that can reinforce these narratives and share the burden when political criticism arises. And, crucially, they are preparing for backlash before it comes, with proactive communications strategies designed to withstand partisan attacks.

There may be no perfect answer to this challenge. But companies that fail to address it head on risk walking into a reputational ambush unprepared.

New rules of engagement

The new mandate is crystal clear: become American or become irrelevant. This means more than token US offices; it demands American leadership, American workers, and American manufacturing. Companies slow to adapt will find themselves on the wrong side of both policy and public opinion, fighting an uphill battle against competitors who understand the rules of engagement.

For example, Taiwanese multinational TSMC recently announced an additional $100 billion investment on top of the $65 billion committed in spring 2024. Former president Joe Biden’s CHIPS Act supported the original investment, while the new funding—made in response to pressure from the Trump administration—is also a strategic move to diversify manufacturing amid the growing threat of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan.

Similarly, Honda plans to relocate production of its new Civic model from Mexico to Indiana by 2028, a direct response to impending tariffs. And it’s not only foreign companies reacting to White House pressure: Apple has pledged $500bn over the next four years to build new facilities in the US.

Depending on which country they come from and the whims of a mercurial president, foreign brands now face unprecedented scrutiny, where a single misstep can trigger boycotts, regulatory investigations or executive orders targeting their operations. When information is weaponised through its mis-, dis- or mal-usage, reputation management isn’t just important—it’s existential.

The days of quiet market entry are over. Companies must now build fortress-like reputations, demonstrating transparent business practices while actively contributing to American communities. Anything less is an invitation to become the next corporate target in the xenophobic and challenging business environment America is presenting to the rest of the world.

But it’s not only foreign companies navigating treacherous terrain. US firms looking to expand internationally face their own labyrinth of regulatory challenges, political headwinds, and market barriers—especially in regions such as the UK and EU, where protectionist instincts have hardened, and trade agreements remain in flux. The same forces driving foreign companies to “become American” are pushing US multinationals to carefully align with local policies abroad or risk getting caught in retaliatory crossfires, particularly amid hostile trade negotiations and the resurgence of economic nationalism.

For companies on both sides of the Atlantic—and beyond—expert counsel is no longer optional. Whether scaling into the US from Europe or launching from the US into increasingly fortified foreign markets, the path to growth now runs directly through strategic communications, regulatory navigation and reputational defence.

Communication strategies that worked in previous decades are now dangerously inadequate. In an American market where perception can change overnight, companies need aggressive narrative control and crisis response capabilities that can counter misinformation before it spreads. Those relying on reactive PR will find their reputations in tatters before they even have a chance to respond.

Scenario planning has evolved from a boardroom exercise to an operational imperative. Companies entering the US market must war-game multiple futures—from best-case stabilisation to worst-case economic nationalism—with concrete action plans for each potential reality. Those unable to pivot at a moment’s notice will find themselves paralysed when the inevitable crisis hits.

Think global, act local

Local partnerships aren’t merely beneficial: they’re like bulletproof vests in a market increasingly hostile to foreign entities. Strategic alliances with American businesses provide not just market insights but political insulation and crisis management resources when regulatory storms hit. Companies attempting to go it alone will find themselves isolated and vulnerable when policy winds shift against them.

Communications professionals need to be an essential cog in the corporate wheel, involved in every step of expansion efforts, from the scenario planning straight through partnership development and reputational risk mitigation efforts.

The cold, hard truth is this: the American market remains the ultimate prize, but the cost of admission has never been higher. Foreign companies clinging to outdated expansion models will be eaten alive in this new landscape of economic nationalism, regulatory aggression, and reputational warfare. Only those with the courage to completely reimagine their approach—building flexible operations, rock-solid reputations, and political resilience—will survive and thrive in Trump’s America.

And as companies wrestle with how to balance their global values against the local realities of US expansion, one thing is clear: success now requires not only operational flexibility but narrative dexterity. Those who get it wrong won’t just be facing regulatory risk; they may find themselves at the centre of the next culture war.

Frank De Maria is the founding partner of consultancy Purposeful Advisors