Petchem Trade Caught in Tariff Turbulence

The tariff war is in full swing, but the analysis of their effect has focused on economies. While this makes sense, a look at some of the industries set to bear the brunt of the protectionist measures might be useful—because it might reveal a means of solving the trade deficit problem that has been irking President Trump enough to make him pick the trade equivalent of the nuclear option. The petrochemical industry has been the fastest-growing arm of the oil and gas industry for years. This is especially true of China, which has emerged as…