Has Trump won the trade wars?

TRADE tensions are continuing to evolve, as US President Donald Trump last week unveiled his much delayed reciprocal tariffs. He increased tariffs on merchandise from about 70 countries and raised the rate on certain products made in Canada to a punitive 35 per cent. 

Trump claims his moves will rebalance a global trade system that he argues has been tilted against the world’s largest economy.

But the question of whether Trump has emerged victorious from the trade wars requires a complex economic and geopolitical assessment that focuses on economic outcomes, strategic objectives and long-term implications for American competitiveness.