US doesn't have to threaten sanctions. Through it's worldwide security/spying apparatus it keeps tabs on all politicians in all countries and knows who is compromised (another reason Huawei cannot be allowed to gain market share). Talking about countries like Trinidad and Tobago, easily half or more of those politicians can be brought down (via leaks to friendly journalists), disgraced or even put on the Clinton list for sanctions individually.
There's a reason that Latin American politicians always toe the line when it comes to the US. All of them are compromised. All of them want to be able to travel to the US and vacation in Miami without being arrested. And once you are on that US Treasury or "Clinton" list, you are as good as dead. No more bank account, no more air travel, nothing for you. This is a "soft" power that China will never have.
You're getting carried away.
How much efforts and resources that US has invested in banning and destroying Huawei? What's the political, financial, economic, reputational cost that the US had to pay to get where they're? It had resorted to hostage-taking, but in the end still had to release Ms. Meng Wanzhou. The US has never, ever applied and invested so much resources and efforts in sabotaging one single company before. It is unprecedented. Yet Huawei is still alive and well and is getting 5G contracts in the world. If this is the kind of cost the US has to pay in getting one company destroyed (without being able to do it), think about how much more you would need to do the same for much more companies? For an entire industry? For a nation like China?
Note that I have not even started to tally the backlashing and consequences against the US and its interest of such sabotaging, in the short-term, medium- and long-term.
It took a once-in-three decades event like Russia invasion of Ukraine for the US to mobilize Europe to impose the kind of economic sanctions against Russia? But -- to borrow a catch phrase -- at what cost, to Europe and the US? Already some people have started to fantasizing doing the same on China, with 10x economy, 3x trades and so much farther away? They need a reality check.
It's taken a visit by the Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and naked military invasion threat by the US government for the US to change the stance of the little island nation of Solomon Islands on its security treaty with China ... not. And, by the way, how many Latin American countries have cut off diplomatic relationships with Taiwan in the last few years despite repeated US threats? And yet you're boasting about having every Latin American country in the US pocket?
The fact of the matter is, the US power and influence is rapidly declining throughout the world and in almost all spheres of affairs. It is desperately trying to stop or at least slow down the decline, resorting to all sorts means. Sure, it still holds some leverages in a few areas here and there. But they're not cost-free and without consequences. The countries that the US can still exert quite some pressure and influence are almost always those same vassal states, aka, "the rest of the world." We all know who they're.
Against China, what has the US accomplished so far since Trump? Since Obama's Pivot to Asia? Do we need to list them? What was the balance of power then? What is it now?