The calm that settled over U.S.-China trade relations in early autumn has officially broken. In the run-up to the APEC summit in South Korea, what was a cautious thaw has flash-frozen into a renewed confrontation, with the battleground expanding from negotiating tables to the high seas and the heart of Silicon Valley.
As leaders prepare to gather, the effects of this new, more targeted phase of economic rivalry are rippling across global supply chains. A frantic rush to front-run potential Trump administration tariffs is sending transpacific shipping rates soaring, creating a short-term boom that masks long-term pain. That pain is already being felt in Chinese shipyards, where new orders have plummeted following the imposition of U.S. fees.
You’ve accessed an article available only to subscribers
VIEW OPTIONS