Trump presidency darkens China trade outlook

China could expect to see less export momentum and more trade disputes with the United States in 2017 once Donald Trump took over as US President, analysts said. According to the South China Morning Post, even though the chance of an all-out trade war between the world’s No 1 and No 2 economies remains slim, it is almost certain that trade tensions between Beijing and Washington will escalate significantly after Trump officially enters the White House. Trump’s rhetoric of imposing punitive tariffs on Chinese imports and labeling Beijing as a currency manipulator during the election campaign was largely discredited by China’s policymakers as a bluff. However, his appointment of Peter Navarro, a harsh China critic, as the head of the White House National Trade Council, meant there was a possibility of hostility, analysts said.