Tim Culpan, Columnist

China’s Winning This Mini Trade War

Japan’s move to restrict exports of certain materials to South Korea only hurts the big players and helps Beijing.

July 9, 2019 at 4:31 AM UTC

Tim Culpan is a former Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering technology in Asia. Previously, he was a technology reporter for Bloomberg News.

Parting words.
Photographer: Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

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If there was ever a time for Japan and South Korea to engage in a supply-chain spat, this isn’t it.

Last week, Japan moved to restrict exports of materials used to make semiconductors and smartphone screens to its North Asian neighbor, citing grievances between the two countries dating back seven decades. The curbs threaten the flow of components that feeds the world's hunger for technology hardware. It may also hand Beijing a victory.