U.S. President Donald Trump blindsided global markets and his own trade officials Thursday when he announced, via Twitter, an escalation in the trade war with China. The push to raise tariffs on more Chinese imports starting Sept. 1 comes as trade talks between the two sides have bogged down, with little hope of progress apparent even before Trump’s surprise move. Now, the big question is how much damage Trump’s escalating trade wars will do to global economic growth at a time when the United States, China, Japan, Britain, and the European Union are all slashing forecasts.
What was Trump’s latest escalation?
