American Tariffs and the U.S. Economic War with China
SUMMARY The Trump tariff offensive is couched in domestic economic terms and objectives – to reduce the trade deficit, to reduce the fiscal deficit, to increase domestic manufacturing, especially in technologies with good growth potential or necessary for national security. The economic issues used to justify the higher tariffs, however, are part of a larger challenge - the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China, and part of a broader objective – to weaken China’s domestic economy. The economic issues used to justify the higher tariffs are less important than the geopolitical issues - the geopolitical rivalry between the United States and China - and part of a broader objective – to weaken China’s domestic economy. BACKGROUND The conflict with China has been recognized as far back as the Obama administration. Even before then, the United States has used economic tools as political weapons – sanctions, denying othe...