World Will Not End Over Trade Policy As “Art of the Deal” Is Just The Start

The trade war rhetoric that intensified late in the week, perhaps cumulating with harsh criticism from the Japanese trade minister, appears to be receding on Monday morning. Many analysts took a harsh tone, with Societie Generale's Albert Edwards saying a trade war could lead to a new "ice age." But is this all just part of a larger plan? With conciliatory comments coming out regarding the US on trade now contrasting sharp rhetoric from President Trump last week, one question remains: Is US trade policy blowing in the wind or are we witnessing a negotiating tactic from the author of “The Art of the Deal?”

Perhaps one of the most classic of...