US tariffs hang over China’s biggest trade fair

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Yesterday saw the start of the three-week long Canton Fair in Guangzhou, where Chinese exporters gather to sell their wares. But whether its Christmas tree lights, motorcycles or photocopiers they are peddling, all have one thing in common: an escalating sense of unease surrounding the trade war with the US. Reuters reports that US tariffs loom large at the trade fair, exacerbated by the turmoil and uncertainty gripping China’s economy. According to Reuters, it has been the rapid escalation of the tit-for-tat tariff fight that has caught them most offguard. And while exports out of China have mostly been resilient, there are expectations of a more sombre outlook for the following 12 months.