The US and Chinese officials are currently continuing their tariff discussions, but China has already made concessions, either as a sign of good faith or as a tacit admission that the Trump administration has the communist nation in its sights.
According to the most recent sources, around one-quarter of all US imports to China have been surreptitiously spared from 125% tariffs, amounting to $40 billion in American-made items that will now reach Chinese customers without the exorbitant surtax.
The decision comes as Beijing seeks to cushion the damage to its economy from President Donald Trump’s across-the-board 145% tariff on Chinese goods.
Pharmaceuticals and industrial chemicals are among the exempted products.
Trade specialists told Bloomberg that the policy shift by Chinese President Xi Jinping to match Washington’s moves was strategic rather than conciliatory; however, it is unclear if disarmament was initiated by the White House.
On Friday, Xi’s spokesperson said Chinese officials are “evaluating” the Trump administration’s latest offer, a key change in tone that might pave the way for protracted negotiations on a historic revision of the US-China trade gap.
“The U.S. has recently taken the initiative on many occasions to convey information to China through relevant parties, saying it hopes to talk with China,” Reuters reported.
However, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce warned that it would not be forced into making a bad deal, adding, “attempting to use talks as a pretext to engage in coercion and extortion would not work.”
On Thursday, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo that he believes Beijing officials are ready to make a deal after weeks of punishing tariffs that may soon cost China’s economy between five and 10 million jobs.
“I am confident that the Chinese will want to reach a deal. And as I said, this is going to be a multi-step process. First, we need to de-escalate. And then over time, we will start focusing on a larger trade deal,” Bessent said.
Hellbound and Down 