Inside Story

Are US and China on the brink of a trade war?

The world’s two biggest economies clash following US President Donald Trump’s new batch of tariffs.

The last 10 years saw a marked improvement in trade between the United States and China.

But US President Donald Trump‘s battle of the tariffs is threatening that and there are fears of an all-out trade war.

The US is putting tariffs on $50bn worth of Chinese imports, with Trump saying he wants a fairer trade with China.

But Beijing’s fired back with a tit-for-tat response. It’s published a list of more than 600 US products it plans to hit with its own taxes.

Is it a case of who blinks first in this economic brinkmanship?

And what will it mean for global trade?

Presenter: Elizabeth Puranam

Guests:

Philippe LeGrain – political economist and former special adviser to the director-general of the World Trade Organization

Einar Tangen – China political analyst who advises the Chinese government on economic and development issues

Scott Lucas – professor of American politics at the University of Birmingham