Do you want to play a game? Global Trade War is Washington’s new hobby.

The largest powers in the world were deep in a trade war. The economic losses of the prices that President Trump had imposed on most of the world, as well as global reprisals, accumulated. Jobs were lost, inflation was running and the world was both frustrated and worried about the United States.

While the issues were real, the trade war was not. Instead, it was a simulation to better understand how a global commercial struggle could take place.

Last month, two dozen sales experts from the United States and other countries met in a Washington reflection group to try to simulate what could happen if Mr. Trump is advancing with his plan to impose punistent rates on the largest American trade partners.

Teams representing China, Europe, the United States and other governments spent a day running between conference rooms, offering proposals to withdraw prices and conclude trade agreements to prevent economic collapse.

The game, which took place at the Center for a New American Security, a bipartite reflection group focused on security issues, included experts from reflection groups and former managers of Trump and Biden administrations. The exercise did not aim to predict the future. Instead, by acting what could happen, participants were trying to reveal part of the dynamics that could be at stake while Trump continues an aggressive commercial approach against allies and adversaries.

In the past two months, Trump has imposed prices on China, Canada and Mexico, as well as samples from global imports of steel and aluminum. Wednesday, Trump is expected to announce a plan aimed at increasing tariff rates on other countries, and its 25% tariffs on cars and car parts will come into force on Thursday.