A Chain Pulled Apart: The U.S. - China Economic Conflict and Its Impact on the Global Supply Chain
Article Sidebar
Main Article Content
Abstract
The study titled A Chain Pulled Apart: The U.S. - China Economic Conflict and Its Impact on the Global Supply Chain aimed to (1) analyze the development of trade relations between the United States and the People's Republic of China, and (2) analyze the factors and impacts of the economic conflict on the global economic supply chain. This research employs a documentary research methodology, using content analysis of academic articles, governmental reports, and policy documents from both countries. The findings are as follows (1) On the Development of Relations, The trade relationship developed through four key eras: 1.1) The early trade era 18th – 19th centuries via the Treaty of Wanghia; 1.2) The Cold War era (1949 - 1972) where trade was limited by ideology; 1.3) The normalization and growth era (1970s - 2001) following China's reforms and WTO accession; and 1.4) The current era (2010s - present), characterized by a shift from interdependence to strategic competition and confrontation. (2) On Factors and Supply Chain Impacts, the conflict is driven by four primary dimensions: 2.1) Economic factors, such as the "America First" policy; 2.2) Technological competition in semiconductors and 5G; 2.3) Geopolitics, including the formation of the BRICS group; and 2.4) Ideology. This conflict significantly impacts global supply chains, causing disruptions, altering the economic balance, and fostering a trend towards economic decoupling. This, in turn, drives innovation and policy reforms aimed at building international resilience.
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
References
Baldwin, R. (2016). The Great Convergence: Information technology and the new globalization. Harvard University Press.
Allison, G. (2017). Destined for war: Can America and China escape Thucydides’ trap? Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Frieden, J. (2020). Global capitalism: Its fall and rise in the twentieth century. W. W. Norton & Company.
Peter, I. (2024). Why the US-China trade war could last another five years. University of Rochester, New York.
The Economist. (2024). America and China’s trade war will rock the world. The Economist Newspaper Limited. London.
Market, A. (2025). The U.S.-China Conflict and Its Impact on Global Financial Markets. GT Global Ltd.
Somchai, P. (2019). The U.S.-China Trade War: A Battle for Global Hegemony Beyond a Trade Conflict. Would you like to explore more details on this topic or review additional translations? The Standard.
Friedberg, A. L. (2011). A contest for supremacy: China, America, and the struggle for mastery in Asia. W. W. Norton & Company.
Warorut, J. (2025). Transitioning China's Economic Strategy in the Era of Trade War 2.0. Thai Commercial Fund Management Securities Co., Ltd.
Economy & Jobs. (2018). Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Additional Proposed Section 301 Remedies. The White House. Washington, D.C.
Gereffi, G. (2020). What does the COVID-19 pandemic teach us about global value chains? The case of medical supplies. [Journal of International Business Policy], 3(3), 287–301.
Lee, J., & Gereffi, G. (2021). Global value chains, resilience, and rebalancing. [Cambridge Journal of Regions] Economy and Society, 14(2), 347–368.
Han, W., Fran, W. & Leng, C. (2018). Update: U.S. Names Products Targeted by $200 Billion in New Tariffs. Caixin Global Limited.
Lardy, N. R. (2002). Integrating China into the global economy. Brookings Institution Press.
Bown, C. P. (2021). US-China Trade War Tariffs: An Up-to-Date Chart. Peterson Institute for International Economics.
Chengdu, Y. (2025). The historical course of CN-US trade relations. Chengdu Youshian International logistics.
Economic and Business Research Center. (2025). Trump Imposes a Major U.S. Import Tariff – Thailand Hit Hard with a 36% Increase and at Risk of Severe Impact as Global Trade Constricts. Economic and Business Research Center.
Erica, Y. & Alex, D. (2025). Trump Tariffs: The Economic Impact of the Trump Trade War. Tax Foundation. Washington, D.C.
Saowaluk, K. (2567). Decoding “BRICS” and Examining Why Thailand Did Not Join a Key Movement in Global and Thai Trade. Kasikorn Research Center.
Sommai, P. (2025). Trump's Tariff Policy Will Change the World as We Know It. Bangkok: Thai Post Newspaper Co., Ltd.
PPTV. (2568). Thailand and the BRICS: Clear Direct and Indirect Benefits, but Trump Might Not Be Pleased. Bangkok: Bangkok Media and Broadcasting Co.
Thairath. (2023). Compilation of Facts on the COVID-19 Outbreak in the United States and China. Bangkok. [n.p.]
Nobuaki, Y. (2024). The Third-country Effect of the United States-China Trade War on Viet Nam. (Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia), 531.
Ben, S. & Tom, E. (2025). How are Donald Trump's import tariffs calculated. British Broadcasting Corporation. London.
Jeremy, D. (2018). Trump hits China with tariffs, heightening concerns of global trade war. Cable News Network. Georgia.
Tessa, W. & Kayla, E. (2025). At a glance: Trump's tariffs on China, EU and rest of the world. British Broadcasting Corporation, London.
Qi, S. (2023). To what extent did US-China trade war affect the global economy. (Instituto Clínico de Buenos Aires), 181.
Economy & Jobs. (2018). Statement from President Donald J. Trump on Additional Proposed Section 301 Remedies. The White House. Washington, D.C.
