Behind US Tariffs: 5 books to understand trade wars

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The dramatic set of events in the last few days has escalated global trade war fears, especially with rising tensions between the US and China. Images: Shutterstock

With US total tariffs on China now standing at 145%, market volatility and global instability are only expected to intensify. Images: Shutterstock

Here are 5 books you can read to understand how trade wars work—from their political motivations and economic tools to their global consequences. Images: Shutterstock

Clashing Over Commerce

Authors: Douglas A. Irwin Published: 2017 Key themes: US trade policy, economic ideology, tariffs, history, policymaking Images: goodreads.com

The Economic Weapon

Authors: Nicholas Mulder Published: 2023 Key themes: Political rhetoric, trade misinformation, trade policy, public opinion, populism Images: goodreads.com

Trade Wars Are Class Wars

Authors: Matthew C. Klein & Michael Pettis Published: 2020 Key themes: Inequality, global imbalances, surplus economies Images: goodreads.com

The Great Convergence

Authors: Richard Baldwin Published: 2016 Key themes: Digital globalisation, supply chains, labour markets, knowledge flow, ICT Images: goodreads.com

Why Politicians Lie About Trade

Authors: Dmitry Grozoubinski Published: 2023 Key themes: Political rhetoric, trade misinformation, trade policy, public opinion, populism Images: goodreads.com

Trump's reciprocal tariffs explained

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