China Center Research Brief: 'Huge' Trade Deficit Smaller than Thought

Over the last year, The Conference Board China Center has been using a new dataset from the World Input-Output Database to explore the complex trade linkages between China and the outside world through the lens of global value chains. In doing so, we’ve recalculated the trade flows between China and other nations and generated novel insights about the true nature of China’s bilateral economic relationships.

In light of the rising trade frictions between Washington, DC, and Beijing, the China Center’s Erik Lundh and David Hoffman leveraged this research to coauthor an opinion editorial for Bloomberg that was published on March 18, 2018. The piece argues that the real trade imbalance between the US and China is smaller than widely believed, explores important nuances underpinning this critical trade relationship, and delves into fundamental points of contention between the two countries.

You can find the Op-Ed on Bloomberg here, or read a more robust version of the piece with supporting figures by downloading the report on the right.