$TRX

Despite the Trump administration imposing a 10% tariff on Chinese imports in February 2018, China actually increased its holdings of U.S. Treasuries that month. Data from the Treasury International Capital (TIC) system shows China's U.S. debt ownership rose from $760.8 billion to $784.3 billion. Japan, another nation significantly affected by the tariff measures at the time, also boosted its U.S. Treasury holdings during the same period. Market strategist Lou Brien of DRW suggested this behavior might be rooted in "self-preservation." He explained that both Japan and China possess substantial holdings, and deciding to sell them off, especially if publicly known, could lead to significant losses for themselves.