Feb 23 (W): 12. The US-China trade war. Market power, domestic politics, and international trade bargaining strategies. Writeup # 2 due Fri Feb 25 8:00p.

Chad P. Bown, “The US-China Trade War and Phase One Agreement,” PIIE Working Paper 21-2 (Feb 2021), Bown 2021.pdf
Jeanna Smialek and Ana Swanson, “American Consumers, Not China, Are Paying for Trump’s Tariffs,” New York Times (Jan 6, 2020), Smialek and Swanson NYT 2020.pdf
Jolie Myers et al., “Has the Trade War Taken a Bite out of China’s Economy? Yes – But It’s Complicated,” NPR All Things Considered (Oct 10, 2019), Myers 2019.pdf
Optional: “Why You Should Never Start a Trade War with an Autocracy,” Economist (Apr 27, 2019), Why You Should Never.pdf
Optional: Ana Swanson and Keith Bradsher, “US Signals No Thaw in Trade Relations with China,” New York Times (Oct 4, 2021), Swanson and Bradsher NYT 2021.pdf

Slides: Session 12 ~ US-China Trade War.pptx

Class Recording: Session 12 Recording (Feb 23)

Discussion Thread: Discussion Thread for Sessions 11-13

Objectives

To describe key developments and status of the Trump-era US-China trade war of 2018+
To apply and evaluate various contending explanations of the policy choices, and policy effects, of the US-China trade war of 2018, using course concepts and theories
To analyze and critically assess course arguments using this example

Discussion Questions

What are the key developments and policy choices involved in the US-China trade war initiated by US Pres. Donald Trump in 2018 and continued up to the present?
What explains these policy choices, of both states?
What does this case say about course theories and arguments about trade policy choices? Who gains and who loses from this trade war? Why did it begin? Why has it continued? Why did it not begin in an earlier period? What political economy consequences has it had?