It's possible to call it a trade war in the figurative sense. One could interpret it that way, though I don't. Anyone involved in using language as literal fact in an impartial way, such as the press, ought not to call it a war, because it isn't. If violence breaks out with China, then you can say we are at war.
Until then, "trade war" is headlinese. It's written to get attention. Ever been around kids or teenagers trying to get attention? They do and say outrageous things. Listen to the drama and exaggeration. You see the same thing on TV, radio, newspapers, the internet. One big freak show, one big side show. It's all about getting ratings, which is the same as getting attention. Conflict plays well on TV. No conflict, no news. Pro wrestling on every channel—now that's figurative language.
Sting wrote a song called "This War". Although I disagree with much of it, the song contains a list of subjects to which the term "war" has been applied. That part I liked. It's a clever song. Militaristic language enters everyday usage, and no one questions it. People use the word "attack" all the time when talking about conversation or written debate. Obviously it's not an attack. But the usage is so ingrained no one questions it. Does it matter what words we use? Of course it does.
