Trade War: Local Economies and Jobs Hang in the Balance

August 24 , 2018

On July 6, the U.S. government made threats of a trade war with China a reality, with tariffs on $34 billion worth of Chinese goods. China responded with tariffs of a similar amount on U.S. imports. While some in the U.S. may feel the Trump administration has made an important move in defense of American workers, many are increasingly concerned about the damage a trade war could cause to U.S. producers.

Trump’s tariffs against China directly hurt American companies that rely on imported Chinese products for their operations. Furthermore, China’s counter-tariffs can also devastate American producers that export to China, by driving up their prices abroad.

About 1.7 million U.S. jobs are in industries subject to China’s counter tariffs. The tariffs will not affect all U.S. states equally: they will hit agricultural states hard and have a smaller impact on service-heavy states like New York. In fact, 38 percent of products on the tariff list are agricultural, including soybeans, sorghum, tobacco and pork. The impact on one group in particular has garnered special attention: American soybean farmers.

Beijing’s 25 percent tariff on U.S.-produced soybeans has already dealt a pivotal blow to the U.S. soybean industry and the 300,000 American farmers that work in it. Nearly a quarter of U.S. soybean exports go to China, generating 14 billion U.S. dollars annually. In the state of Minnesota alone, it is estimated that every third row of soybeans planted is sent to China. The Chinese government’s drive to increase domestic soybean production, as well as import more from other countries, like Brazil, may keep American soybean farmers out in the cold.

On July 24 President Trump announced the provision of $12 billion in emergency relief for farmers harmed in the fallout from his trade policies. While this move may grant the American farming industry some comfort, it could also indicate Trump’s plans to further escalate the trade war.

Both the U.S. and China have threatened to impose even more tariffs by the end of the year. With no end in sight, American producers are operating in an environment of uncertainty. To many Americans workers and producers, the trade war hits much closer to home than most grand geopolitical disputes: local economies and jobs hang in the balance.

2:59
'Pick the U.S. Up, Not Hold China Down'
'Pick the U.S. Up, Not Hold China Down'
September 05 , 2018
There are 68,000 American companies that manufacture, distribute and sell goods in China. It challenges the belief that the Chinese market is closed to the U.S.

September 05, 2018

'Pick the U.S. Up, Not Hold China Down'
2:05
Let’s Talk About Trade
Let’s Talk About Trade
August 31 , 2018
Trade is essential to the success of America and the American people. It represents about a third of U.S. GDP, and has helped build the U.S. economy into the undisputed #1. Tariffs are bad news for everyone.

August 31, 2018

Let’s Talk About Trade
5:56
The Dangerous Sign: the U.S. Is Moving Closer to Taiwan
The Dangerous Sign: the U.S. Is Moving Closer to Taiwan
August 28 , 2018
There are dangerous signs from the U.S. to undermine the “One China” policy, says He Yafei. For the past 40 years, the two countries have managed the Taiwan issue well, but things are changing.

He Yafei August 28, 2018

The Dangerous Sign: the U.S. Is Moving Closer to Taiwan
4:13
China and the U.S. Must Cooperate
China and the U.S. Must Cooperate
August 28 , 2018
He Yafei argues that it is still true that China and the U.S. have more common grounds than differences. China continues to desire for a secure and stable world order.

He Yafei August 28, 2018

China and the U.S. Must Cooperate
3:14
The Next 40 Years: The New Normal of the China-US Relations
The Next 40 Years: The New Normal of the China-US Relations
August 28 , 2018
Given the U.S. has identified China as a main rivalry, the two nations can still cooperate. But it is unrealistic to expect China to make concessions and “take a hit.”

He Yafei August 28, 2018

The Next 40 Years: The New Normal of the China-US Relations
10:09
Why Are the U.S. and China Becoming More Competitive With Each Other?
Why Are the U.S. and China Becoming More Competitive With Each Other?
August 28 , 2018
The relationship with the U.S. has been an important factor for China’s success in the last 40 years in its reform and opening-up effort to integrate into the global system.

He Yafei August 28, 2018

Why Are the U.S. and China Becoming More Competitive With Each Other?
2:24
U.S.-China Tech Arms Race
U.S.-China Tech Arms Race
June 26 , 2018
The rivalry between China and the U.S. in high-tech industries has become increasingly tense. This is in part because both governments have begun to associate supremacy in technology with national security. In the current trade disputes between the two economic giants, technology will like be a sticking point.

June 26, 2018

U.S.-China Tech Arms Race
2:04
Is China’s Navy a Threat?
Is China’s Navy a Threat?
May 18 , 2018
China’s activities in its surrounding seas may be as much a recognition of its weaknesses as an assertion of strengths. What is certain is that the East and South China Seas will continue to be sources of contention in the immediate future.

May 18, 2018

Is China’s Navy a Threat?

Trade War: Local Economies and Jobs Hang in the Balance

'Pick the U.S. Up, Not Hold China Down'

Let’s Talk About Trade

The Dangerous Sign: the U.S. Is Moving Closer to Taiwan

China and the U.S. Must Cooperate

The Next 40 Years: The New Normal of the China-US Relations

Why Are the U.S. and China Becoming More Competitive With Each Other?

U.S.-China Tech Arms Race

Is China’s Navy a Threat?