As Trade War Settles, Tech War Looms

Phase One might be done — but the one-upsmanship between the U.S. and China is not over.  Even as last week’s tariff ceasefire marked the end of the first stage of the trade war, another simmering conflict for the future promises to shape the next decade or two.  Technology just might be the next big battlefront as Beijing and Washington jockey for geopolitical, economic, cultural and innovation supremacy.  Already there’s plenty of cross-Pacific tension over tech — and the stakes are high for fashion.  So far, much of the tech war has played out worlds away from the average consumer — with the countries most closely guarding the uber advanced systems used for national security — but it is an issue that cuts right through everything from quantum computing to online privacy. Merchants and brands might not be on the extreme cutting edge, but they are becoming marinated in technology and taking it on themselves, developing automated warehouses, AI-aided fashion design, cashierless stores, bot-powered customer service and on and on.  “Technology — or more precisely who will dominate in areas like AI, robotics and 5G — is at the heart of the trade war,” said Stephen Lamar, president and chief executive officer of the American Apparel

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