A trade war between the U.S. and China takes shape

Earlier this month, the U.S. published a list of some 1,300 Chinese products it proposes to hit with tariffs of 25 percent. A day later, China produced its own list, covering 106 categories, and offering up some snark in the process. “As the Chinese saying goes, it is only polite to reciprocate,” said the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC.

Is a trade war emerging between the two nations? It’s very possible, and the effects would be felt throughout both countries. Unsurprisingly, though the value of the two lists was about the same, the list of American products that may be tariffed covers a much larger percentage of that country’s exports to China than vice versa. 

American exports to China in 2017 rang up a bill of about $130 billion, while Chinese exports the other way hit about $506 billion.