“Tariffs and Tigers: China–US Trade Tensions Grip the Globe”

🧭 Thematic Focus

Category: International Relations | Economy | Trade Geopolitics
“Tariff Wars and Trade Shadows: When Giants Clash, All Feel the Tremor”

📌 Key Highlights

• The Core Conflict
  • US tariffs on Chinese goods now reach 145% under Trump’s ‘liberation day’ campaign.
  • Beijing retaliates with up to 125% duties, vows to defend its economic sovereignty.
• China’s Stance
  • Warns against “appeasement deals” between US and third-party nations.
  • Quote: “To seek the skin of a tiger is to invite peril.”
• US Strategy: Divide and Pressure
  • Nearly 50 nations approached US for tariff exemptions.
  • Japan and Indonesia adjusting agriculture trade to favour US.
  • US pushing countries to reduce China ties in exchange for relief.
• Global Stage Diplomacy
  • China to raise issue at UN Security Council, accusing US of “bullying and unilateralism.”
  • Xi Jinping’s SE Asia tour to reaffirm regional trade bonds.
• Technology War Front
  • US curbs on semiconductors and AI chips hitting Chinese tech.
  • Nvidia faces $5.5 billion loss due to export restrictions.
• Room for Dialogue?
  • Trump: “We’re talking to China… may strike a good deal.”
  • China calls for talks but no confirmation of ongoing negotiations.

🧠 Concept Explainer

Why Tariffs Are More Than Just Taxes

In a world where data flows faster than cargo ships, tariffs are no longer tools of trade—they are tools of leverage, power, and politics. The China–US tariff war isn’t just a bilateral issue—it is a pressure test of global alignments, a warning to middle powers, and a lesson in how economic interdependence becomes a battlefield.

📜 GS Paper Mapping

• GS Paper II:
  • International Relations: India-China, India-US, Multilateralism
  • International Institutions: Role of UN in Economic Diplomacy
• GS Paper III:
  • Economy: International Trade, Protectionism, WTO Principles
  • Science & Tech: Export Controls, Tech Supply Chains

✍️ Essay Paper Mapping

• “In a Global Bazaar, No War is Local: Tariffs as Modern Weapons”
• “Power and Reciprocity in World Trade: Beyond the Dollar and Dragon”
• “Bilateral Tensions, Multilateral Tremors: Rethinking Economic Nationalism”

💭 A Thought Spark — by IAS Monk

“When trade becomes a threat and tariffs turn into trenches, peace is no longer measured in treaties — but in the quiet pause before another levy lands.”