After the confrontation comes the time to assess the damage. The consequences of the trade war initiated by Donald Trump and China's response are already proving painful for China's export regions, also affected by over-competition among factories and weak domestic demand. American consumers have not yet begun to feel the effects, as a container from China takes at least a month to reach the US by sea freight and clear customs on the West Coast, and about two months on the East Coast. "It’s my prediction that in two weeks' time, arrivals will drop by 35%, as essentially all shipments out of China for major retailers and manufacturers has ceased," stated Gene Seroka, the director of the Port of Los Angeles, on Thursday, April 24.

Both sides are now looking to minimize the impact. Behind a discourse of absolute determination, China has begun to exclude certain products from its prohibitive 125% tariffs adopted in retaliation to Trump's 145%. While presenting the quarterly results of his group on Friday, Safran CEO Olivier Andriès stated that he had learned the day before that China had decided not to tax aircraft engines, landing gear and nacelles from the United States.

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