U.S.–China Trade War: Who Pays the Price?

Posted on 6-06-2019

It’s in the news every day, and the mixture of information — facts, opinion, and projections, can be confusing. This Week, Craig Siminski of CMS Retirement Income Planning, LLC, shares some clarity on the subject:

On May 13, 2019, escalating trade tensions between the United States and China sparked a worldwide stock sell-off that wiped out more than $1 trillion in global equity values.

The markets recovered over the next three days, but tensions between the economic giants continued to drive volatility with no resolution in sight. Investors sometimes overreact to short-term events, but the conflict with China has been simmering for decades, and an extended trade war could have long-term economic consequences.

The Issues

China was the largest U.S. trading partner in 2018, with $737 billion in goods and services exchanged between the two nations, accounting for 13% of all U.S. trade. The fundamental issue is the imbalance in this relationship; the goods and services trade deficit of $379 billion represented more than 60% of the total U.S. trade deficit.

The United States maintains a surplus in services (primarily travel spending by Chinese citizens and software), so the critical concern is the deficit in goods, which totaled $419 billion in 2018 — an increase of 11.6% over the previous year.

For years, U.S. officials have accused China of using unfair trade practices to maintain this imbalance, even as China has grown into a global economic powerhouse. Among the most contentious issues are…

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Craig Siminski is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional, with more than 21 years of experience. His goal is to provide families, business owners, and their employees with assistance in building their financial freedom.

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