The trade between the US and China hit a record high last year- looking contemptuously at the decoupling theory

Recently CNN.co.jp reported the following:

米中間の貿易額、昨年は過去最大を記録　切り離し論尻目に

2023.02.09 Thu posted at 21:21 JST

香港（ＣＮＮ） 米商務省経済分析局は９日までに、米国と中国との間の貿易額が昨年、約６９０６億ドルと過去最大を記録したと報告した。

中国への輸出額は２４億ドル増の１５３８億ドルで、輸入額は３１８億ドル増の５３６８億ドルの大幅赤字となっていた。対中貿易での過去の最高額は２０１８年の６５８８億ドルだった。

米中間では政治的な緊張が高まり、米政策立案者らの間では経済や技術分野で両国間のデカップリング（切り離し）を模索する声も出ているが、貿易現場では現実的な対応が進んでいることを示唆している。

英経済誌「エコノミスト」の調査部門「エコノミスト・インテリジェンス・ユニット」の世界貿易担当首席アナリストはＣＮＮの取材に、サプライチェーン（供給網）の問題は難しく、中国絡みでは特にだと強調。

米政府はサプライチェーン（供給網）で中国への依存度を下げようとしているが、大半の企業は自らの製品を消費者の元へ時間通り届けることに留意し、業務運営でコスト効率が最も良い方法で進めていると指摘した。

中国との貿易ではトランプ前政権が１８年、数百億ドル規模の追加関税を中国製品に課し、赤字解消を迫る強硬策を発動した。これらの措置は大部分がそのまま生き残っている。

バイデン政権も米中対立の深まりを踏まえハイテク製品を中心に対中貿易の制限措置を図ってもいる。中国の軍事力増大をにらみ軍事的に転用できる技術入手などを封じ込める新たな方途も打ち出している。

Translation

Hong Kong (CNN) - Trade between the United States and China hit a record high of about $690.6 billion last year, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis said on the 9th.

Exports to China increased by $2.4 billion to $153.8 billion, while imports increased by $31.8 billion to $536.8 billion, causing a huge deficit. The past record high for trade with China was $658.8 billion in 2018.

Political tensions were rising between the United States and China, and some U.S. policy makers were calling for decoupling the two countries in the economic and technological fields, and suggests that realistic responses were being made on the trade front.

The chief analyst for global trade at the “Economist Intelligence Unit”, the research arm of British business magazine “The Economist”, in an interview with CNN said that the supply chain issues were difficult, especially when it was related to China.

As the U.S. government sought to reduce its reliance on China in its supply chain, it was pointed out that most companies were mindful of getting their products to consumers on time and were looking for the most cost-effective way to operate.

In 2018, the Trump administration had imposed tens of billions of dollars worth of additional tariffs on Chinese products and launched hardline measures to push for a reduction in the trade deficit with China. These measures had largely survived.

The Biden administration was also taking measures to restrict trade with China, mainly in high-tech products, in light of the deepening conflict between the United States and China. In anticipation of China's military expansion, it had also come up with new ways to contain the acquisition of technology that might be diverted to military use.

So, trade between the United States and China hit a record high of about $690.6 billion last year. It seems that he hardline measures to push for a reduction in the trade deficit with China carried out by Trump administration by imposing additional tariffs on Chinese products failed to achieve the objective.