Trump’s Trade War Told Through the Story of a Leather Belt

To an American shopper, it may be just a leather belt. But the 16,000-mile journey undertaken by this simple accessory relies on a complex network of companies that are coming under strain like never before. As the trade war between the U.S. and China disrupts the supply of goods and materials across the Pacific Ocean, a vast web of suppliers, distributors, manufacturers and customers that took decades to build is being challenged by tariffs on both shores. To an American shopper, it may be just a leather belt. But the 16,000-mile journey undertaken by this simple accessory relies on a complex network of companies that are coming under strain like never before. As the trade war between the U.S. and China disrupts the supply of goods and materials across the Pacific Ocean, a vast web of suppliers, distributors, manufacturers and customers that took decades to build is being challenged by tariffs on both shores.