Ekonomska konfrontacija SAD i Kine - paradoksalni rezultat

Abstract

The paper analyzes the confrontation between the United States and China in the recent trade war that resulted in the new trade deal between the two countries at the beginning of this year. After giving a short background, the paper gives an overview of the U.S. - China economic relations, the trade war and the results of the new trade deal. The general conclusion is that the trade war initiated by the United States through the introduction and raising of tariffs was ineffective with the U.S. bearing the costs. The overambitious quantitative goals of the new trade deal are unrealistic and will probably not be achieved. The trade war also undermined the international order of which the rules of conduct of international trade are a significant part. The trade war as well as the U.S. opposition to the appointments of appellate judges in the WTO have undermined this organization as the institutional foundation of international trade. Paradoxically, in order to oppose what are perceived as unfair trade practices within the system of free trade by China, the U.S. has adopted state-managed trade. The new trade deal with China will only strengthen the U.S. interdependence with China as well as the Chinese system of state capitalism that in the U.S. view was seen as the root of the problem in its trade with China. In short, the trade war and the resulting deal were self-defeating in terms of the goals that they were supposed to achieve.