Loading subject…
Most Favoured Nation (MFN) Status
A trade policy designation that entitles a country to the same favorable trade terms, including tariff rates, quotas, and market access, as the most-favored trading partner. The US granted China MFN status annually from 1980, subject to congressional review. The renewal process became contentious after Tiananmen (1989), as Congress debated linking MFN to human rights improvements. China's MFN status was made permanent in 2000, paving the way for WTO accession in 2001.
US-China Trade War (2018–)
A sustained trade conflict initiated by the Trump administration in 2018, imposing tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of Chinese goods in response to alleged unfair trade practices, intellectual property theft, and technology transfer demands. China retaliated with counter-tariffs on US goods. The trade war reflected broader strategic competition between the two economies and concerns about China's industrial policy, particularly Made in China 2025. A partial "Phase One" deal was signed in January 2020 but underlying tensions remained unresolved.