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If Trump Hits China, Regional Demand Would Soften Blow in Asia

  • Tariffs would hurt exporters in China, other Asian economies
  • Yet growing regional trade eases Asia’s reliance on the U.S.
Bloomberg business news

How Will China Deal With President Trump?

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If Donald Trump slapped China with punishing tariffs, the pain would also be felt by Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, vital cogs in a regional supply chain that allows China to build widgets and gadgets for the world.

But Asia boasts a fast-growing middle class now numbering in the hundreds of millions, meaning China and other regional exporters rely less on U.S. consumers, and Trump may not have the leverage his predecessors enjoyed in decades past.