“China had a great run, but it’s over.”
Global trade had been slowing since well before the US election and recent wave of anti-globalization campaigns in other countries. According to the World Trade Organization, in the five months leading up to mid-October last year, members of the Group of 20 implemented on average 17 trade constraints a month. This article helps to explain why, and cites one example of a number of large and small countries imposing tariffs on steel imports.
“The bottom line: The trade environment Trump inherits is a volatile one, with small trade wars and universal retaliation against Chinese steel sales.”