It is not surprising to hear Donald Trump raising the banner for a trade war and declaring casually and disingenuously that it is “easy to win”. Disrupting the status quo is the name of the game for the former TV celebrity, but it is unusual to hear a shipping investor lend his support.

Wilbur Ross, a former part-owner of Navigator Holdings and Diamond S Shipping, and now US commerce secretary, helped create the conditions for Trump to pursue his plan for a 25% tariff on imported steel and 10% on aluminium.