The mighty Chinese trade engine is stalling as trade war with the US hurts

Leading indicators of China’s trade performance are pointing to a bad situation becoming worse, adding pressure on negotiators meeting with US counterparts this week to inch toward a deal that would stave off the arrival of yet more tariffs.

China’s exports contracted last month and shipments to the US plunged. The tariffs President Donald Trump added this month are set to bite and his administration is preparing to pile on yet more duties in October, and more again in December if there is no breakthrough in the negotiations.

Liao Min, deputy director of the Office of the Central Commission for Financial and