A Small Violin Part Highlights Bigger Problems for the Global Economy

As the Trump administration advances a trade war with global consequences, the Kun Shoulder Rest factory in the Canadian capital does not immediately stand out as the front line. A family-owned business that operates out of a labyrinthine Victorian home in downtown Ottawa, Kun makes ergonomic shoulder rests used by violinists from New York to Berlin. “We’re operating in this rarefied world of mostly orchestral stringed instruments,” said Juliana Farha, 58, the company’s director. “If you play the violin, you know about it. And if you don’t, it’s just some weird widget that you’ve never heard of.” Yet that widget is among the countless products facing the prospect of tariffs crafted by the Trump administration in the name of boosting American industrial fortunes. Even before any tariffs take effect, company managers are scrambling to configure backup plans. The disruption highlights the interconnected effects of trade conflicts, a primary source of worry about the global economy. ... Read full article.