GMAT Sentence Correction (SC) | Re: Although the fear last year that the trade zone might break

I believed the 2 actions are happening in 2 different time frame hence opted for A.
If we select E , the next best choice, are we able to justify the intent of the sentence i.e. what it wants to convey as then both the actions seem to occur in same time frame?
Experts, Please comment!

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