Michael Schuman, Columnist

Trump Can't Win a Trade War Alone

The U.S. doesn't wield the same clout it once did in the global economy.

March 20, 2018 at 9:00 PM UTC

Michael Schuman is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub and the author of "Superpower Interrupted: The Chinese History of the World" and "The Miracle: The Epic Story of Asia's Quest for Wealth."

U.S. exports are a smaller share of world trade.
Photographer: David McNew/Getty Images

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As U.S. President Donald Trump prepares a wide-ranging package of tariffs and investment restrictions targeted at China, a trade war between the world’s two most important economies looks unavoidable. On the face of it, the U.S. might seem to have the leverage it needs to win. Since it runs a huge trade deficit with China, the Chinese have a lot more to lose.

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