Tensions between the US and China are hotting up, with talk of more tariffs to add to a growing ‘trade war’ between the planet’s two biggest economic superpowers.
The starting gun on the conflict was fired when the US announced tariffs on steel and aluminium – a bold move by President Donald Trump that caused concerns among nations across the planet about the extent to which global free trade could be curtailed.
This is far from the first trade dispute, however, nor is it the first geopolitical event that can be said to have influenced the fortunes of the economy.
DailyFX has delved into the history books to look back through the past 100-plus years to look at key dates that have affected trade since 1900. The below infographic shows a timeline of the biggest moments – alongside a graph showing the relatives fortunes of the Dow Jones Industrial Average.
On top of this, DailyFX’s analysts have looked at the backstory to the US/China trade war by analysing the timeline in more detail.
It will be fascinating to see if the regimes in Washington and Beijing are led by the lessons of the past in the coming months.
Click to enlarge