After Donald Trump's victory on November 5, a scenario of uncertainty opened for many. International trade is one of the areas where the new US president has focused and it seems clear that his arrival will readjust the rules of the game. Paradoxically, to strengthen its position, Europe should follow the advice of the superhero Captain America: “There is nothing wrong with being afraid, as long as you do not let yourself be overcome by it.” The EU must react by revitalizing its economy, so as to reduce its vulnerability and increase its resistance to external changes. To achieve this, there are three fundamental concepts: deregulation, investment and productivity, especially important to increase the capacity of European companies to generate and use digital technologies. The digital sector is one of the largest investors in research and development and one of the largest generators of services that increase productivity. If European companies fail to introduce digital innovations into their goods and services, they will cease to be competitive and weaken their positioning in the Asian or American market. The European automotive industry and its lag in the electric car and connectivity is an example. The economic impact of regulations is especially pernicious in the digital economy. It is necessary to properly assess the negative economic effects for companies derived from regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Digital Markets Law, the Digital Services Law or the Artificial Intelligence Law. All of them limit the use and combination, by European companies, of one of the most important productive factors currently, data. In relation to investment, it is difficult for European governments to accept greater debt, especially when the funds of NextGeneration EU, the first experiment in European debt, are still being distributed. Therefore, the EU must use supply-side policies, that is, improve the productive capacity of the economy through structural reforms, investment in human capital and promotion of research. It also has to opt for greater flexibility in the markets for goods, services, labor and capital. Although some of these policies must be carried out at the level of the Member States, the European Commission can, and must, contribute to these reforms through regulatory simplification. Regardless of who governs, the United States is not Europe's commercial enemy but its greatest economic ally. In 2022 alone, the sum of European exports of goods and services to that side of the Atlantic exceeded 800 billion euros, 5% of the EU's GDP that year. It is true that, during the campaign, Donald Trump has proposed general tariffs on imports of goods of between 10% and 20%, with tariffs of up to 60% for goods made in China. However, it is not clear whether the candidate and the president will follow the same guidelines or whether he will use these proposals to exchange better conditions for the exports of American companies. The use of tariffs can affect, but not intimidate the European economy, which must Focus on what you can change, not what you can't. The implementation of reforms that strengthen innovation, competitiveness and investment in European countries is more necessary than ever. The EU must also do its part and review regulatory distortions in the digital economy, so that companies can generate and access the latest digital technologies. Along this path, the economy will be able to face new challenges and companies will maintain their competitiveness in the new international market. Óscar Guinea is an economist at the European Center for International Political Economy (ECIPE). In X: @osguinea. Isabel Pérez del Puerto is a journalist and expert in development finance.