Trump’s Trade War Redux Provokes Sharp Industry Response, While China ‘Breathes Sigh of Relief’

By Alexander Whiteman (The Loadstar) –

Warnings of recession greeted the imposition of sweeping tariffs against the US’s three biggest trading partners on Saturday.

Supply chain chiefs have called for a rethink and operators have been urged to “get planning”.

Following campaign promises, President Trump hit Canada, China, and Mexico with tariffs, prompting those neighbours to begin tit-for-tat retaliation against the US, and China threatening action through the World Trade Organisation.

Steve Lamar, CEO of the American Apparel & Footwear Association, said the tariffs would “inject massive costs into our inflation-weary economy”, with the reciprocal action harming exports essential for US farming and manufacturing.

He added: “We should be forging deeper collaboration with our free trade agreement partners, not taking actions that call into question the very foundation of that partnership.”

The association’s SVP of policy, Nate Herman, called for tariff relief and “…