It became a war this week when China retaliated by imposing identical tariffs on nylon from the U.S.
If you think a trade war is minor, you need to know history*. A trade war is the middle step in a series of escalations to a bombing war. It is the step where you cut off your own finger to show you are willing to shed your own people's blood in preparation for the big war. Our finger happens to be tens of thousands of people who will lose their jobs in the nylon and related industries because of this tariff.
President Barack Obama: war monger in chief.
* PS. The Great depression was made worse by America starting a trade war with Europe and Japan joined the Axis in WWII and bombed Pearl Harbor because of a trade war started by America.