Is a Trade War the Only Option?

President Donald Trump’s forays into trade war statecraft—his embrace of steel and aluminum tariffs, and his forthcoming levies on Chinese products in response to alleged intellectual property theft—are poor strategies for addressing U.S. interests. After a year of contemplating ways in which to pressure Beijing into respecting international trade rules, the president’s first move barely affects China at all, since most of the United States’ metal imports come not from China but from the very allies Washington needs to work with to jointly encourage liberalization in China.

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