Economic Challenger Issue 84 Jul-Sept 2019 | Page 4

EDITOR’S DESK THE G-20 SUMMIT – TARIFF WAR COMES TO A HALT The two-day G-20 Summit held in Osaka (Japan) on 28 th -29 th June, 2019 ended in positivity with the US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping agreeing to resume trade talks after a seven- week breakdown. This has averted an escalation of multi-million tariff war that has shaken global markets and threatened the future of world's two largest economy. Although this may not be termed as a major breakthrough in resolving the fundamental conflict on trade-front still it represented a ceasefire to give two warring nations a chance to forge an accord. President Trump promised to put on hold (25% on $ 300 billion) NEW TARIFFS on exports from Beijing for now. This is very positive but has to be followed by a concrete deal to ensure such tensions don't recur in a few months ahead. The deal will help in bringing back positive sentiments in the global trade and investment. The US will lift some restrictions on Chinese company Huawei and in exchange China agreed to buy a tremendous amount of American food and farm products. Lot of things were discussed on the sidelines of G-20 summit. Trump said that “We are right back an track”, “Better than expected and the negotiations are continuing.” President Xi said that the two sides were very harmonious and the area of cooperation are broad. The US-China trade talks will help India also. India has several issues and the US has promised to work with India on data locatisation, IPR, 5-G, defence and security concerns on account of tensions with Iran. Modi – Trump meeting on the margins of the G- 20 Summit in Japan seemed to have gone off well with Trump telling the Indian side that he hoped to announce big things and big trade deals with some positive outcomes. Let us hope the coming events on trade front will surely help the global economy and India as well. Economic Challenger// ISSN 0975-1351/ Issue 84, July-September, 2019 3