, Columnist
Who’s Winning Trump’s Trade War? No One So Far
There are signs of economic losses in both China and the U.S.
Feeling the pressure.
Photographer: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images North AmericaThis article is for subscribers only.
For many decades, U.S. elected leaders subscribed to the creed of free trade. But in 2016, the U.S. presidential election was won by Donald Trump, a man who explicitly painted trade as a zero-sum game in which the U.S. always loses.
Once in office, he began a multifront trade war, launching attacks on Europe, Mexico, Canada, Japan and (especially) China. Although Trump has backed off of many of his forays after minor changes to existing trade arrangements, on China he has doubled down, recently threatening to impose even more tariffs on that country.