Protectionism with US characteristics

The most consistent thing about US President Donald Trump is his inconsistency. With consistency, he has reneged on most campaign promises, with a few flagrant exceptions, such as withdrawing from the Paris climate change agreement, building up trade barriers, forcing American companies to divest internationally, and effectively seeking to isolate the United States from globalization. Not a good record for a country that has for years claimed to be the beacon of globalization, free trade and investment.

Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, President Xi Jinping emphasized that no one will emerge as a winner in a trade war.

However, the Trump-led US administration fired the opening shots of a trade war on Nov 30 by opposing China's bid for recognition as a "market economy" in the World Trade Organization. The move reflects Trump-era protectionism via the manipulation of a global multilateral trading mechanism.