Ground zero of China trade boom reckons with decoupling from U.S.

Executives at the world’s biggest trade fair in China found themselves staring into the abyss as the seams of global commerce come apart. For many visitors to the Canton Fair, held in the southern metropolis of Guangzhou since 1957, shifting into reverse gear is hardly an option, even as prohibitive tariffs imposed on Chinese goods by the U.S.

make decoupling between the world’s two biggest economies a reality. Take Paul McGrath, who lamented the fate of his business at the exhibit. "This is just a disaster,” he said.



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