McDowell Memo: What is a Trade War? and Have we ever had one?

Here is the definition of a " Trade War"

NOUN

1. a situation in which countries try to damage each other's trade, typically by the imposition of tariffs or quota restrictions.
2. What is the trade War between China and the United States about 
3. Background areas of disputes

   There are multiple areas of disagreement which preceded the trade war. In justifying some of the tariffs that the Trump administration would eventually impose Peter Navarro, White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy Director, provided a number of the administration's explanations among them are that they are "purely defensive measures." He claims that the cumulative trillions of dollars Americans transfer overseas as a result of yearly deficits, are then used by those countries to buy America's assets, as opposed to investing that money in the U.S. "If we do as we're doing . . . those trillions of dollars are in the hands of foreigners that they can then use to buy up America." After a seven-month investigation, U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer said that the value of the tariffs imposed was based on U.S. estimates of the actual economic damage caused by alleged theft of intellectual property and "[requiring or pressuring] foreign companies to transfer technology as a condition for securing investment or other approvals".
   Another area of disagreement concerns allegations of Chinese espionage against the United States. U.S. officials, businesspeople, academics and organizations have accused China (through its intelligence services) of either stealing American intellectual property and military technology or adopting and enforcing policies which put U.S. patent holders at a disadvantage in Chinese markets by forcing foreign companies to engage in joint ventures with Chinese companies which in turn gives Chinese companies illicit access to their technologies. Former director of the National Security Agency Keith B. Alexandercalled Chinese industrial espionage as "the greatest transfer of wealth in history." and in August 2017, U.S. trade representative Robert Lighthizer opened a formal investigation of China in regard to alleged unfair trade practices, which are thought to cost the U.S. an estimated $225–600 billion a year

   Previous Trade Wars  here is  a link that shows that these are almost on going in some areas of trade. 
4. So ;;why all the worry now ? It is campaign season and each party will put forth anything that is negative . 
5. So what do we do?  We wait to see the results for ourselves. 
6. https://www.visualcapitalist.com/history-u-s-trade-wars/ 
7. Great subject to be knowledgeable and able to help clear all smoke from the mirrors. 
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