Trump and China Tip Their Hands

In what’s already being dubbed the “Trump-Xi trade war,” the U.S. and China this week introduced competing lists of products that they say will be subject to aggressive new tariffs. Although the lists cover goods roughly equal in value, they seem to be laying the groundwork for decidedly different strategies.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration said it plans to impose 25 percent tariffs on more than 1,000 Chinese products, totaling about $50 billion of annual imports, in retaliation for what it alleges are unfair trade practices. Trump’s list was notable for how hard it worked to minimize the pain felt by American consumers and Chinese businesses. It avoided disrupting major sectors, and seemed to focus on products that could easily be substituted.