Are trade wars easy to win and is Trump both willing and capable of escalating the conflict with Beijing to an all-out trade war, hoping that China will sooner or later capitulate?

Competition can be healthy for both China and the US, provided it doesn’t get out of hand.

The Trump administration wants China to import more cars, aircraft, soybeans and natural gas.

How China and the US avoid a tit for tat exchange and explore a new basis of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation through negotiations is particularly urgent.

U.S. President Trump signed orders on imposing stiff and sweeping new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum. You may have heard about “Section 301” and “Section 232” investigations into steel, aluminum imports and unfair trade practices.

Trump is shooting himself in the foot.

Any U.S. decision to restrict imports based on the argument that an abundance of low-priced raw materials from a diversity of sources somehow threatens national security would lower the bar so significantly as to invite every other member of the World Trade Organization to invoke national security to protect favored industries.

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday he would impose hefty tariffs on imported steel and aluminum to protect U.S. producers, risking retaliation from major trade partners like China, Europe and neighboring Canada as well as helping to trigger a large selloff on Wall Street.

Both sides benefit from economic exchanges.