The trade war didn't happen in 2017. But prepare for a few skirmishes this year.
A trade war was high on many observers' lists of things that could go badly wrong in 2017. Buying and selling of goods and services across borders not only increased last year, but also grew more than anticipated. This year may test whether that's a durable trend or just an accident that flew in the face of politics.
Part of the thanks goes to a more vigorous global economic expansion. The resilience of the international system should also get its due: Supply chains that snake around the globe took decades to build up and aren't just going to go away overnight because of a few tweets from you-know-who. Broad forces at work are bigger than one man.