To the chances of a ‘fair’ trade agreement with China reported yesterday (23.4.2025) by the US President, Donald Trumpbut without the negotiations began.
Asked by a journalist if you are “looking at duties” on imported Chinese products, Trump simply replied that there would be “a fair deal with China, it will be fair”.
In addition, the US president said yesterday from the White House that the timetable for reducing additional duties “depends” on Beijing, while assuring that it was “daily” in contact with China.
“I am doing very well with President Xi (Jing) and I hope we will be able to reach an agreement,” Trump said.
On Tuesday (22.4.2025), the US president had already mentioned the possibility of a “significant” reduction in additional tariffs on Chinese products, causing relief in world markets.
“I am optimistic about an agreement with China and I am optimistic that we will be able to drop the temperature a little,” President Steven Miran said.
Beijing, for its part, appeared open yesterday in negotiations with Washington: “If we have to fight, we will go to the end, but the doors of the dialogue remain wide open,” said Guo Ziakun, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry.
At present these negotiations have not begun, according to US Finance Minister Scott Besed.
“I believe that, on the one hand, we expect that we will be able to speak,” he said yesterday, estimating that the prerequisite for starting any discussions would be the duties on both sides.
“Donald Trump will probably continue to pursue an agreement with China in order to avoid the hostility of financial markets,” Joseph Griiekos said at Duke University.
“I am afraid that he will eventually end up proposing to President Xi a favorable agreement (for China) which will not respond to serious financial problems that the US actually has with China,” he added.
Trump imposed additional duties on April on April on the US trade partners, mainly in Europe and Asia, causing turbulence on markets. Then, a week later, it reduced the additional duties to all countries to 10% with the exception of China.
The additional duties imposed by the Republican on Beijing are 145%, with China responding by imposing additional 125% duties on US imported products.
The duties announced by Trump for steel, aluminum and cars had also been in force.
In addition, the US president told reporters last night that he was not considering modifying car import duties, adding that duties for Canadian vehicles might grow further.
For their part, the Financial Times wrote that Trump is considering adopting exceptions from car duties in order to reduce tax pressure on US automakers.
By the UN, Chinese ambassador Fu Kong strongly criticized the US, which he accused of imposing duties “on various occasions on all their commercial partners”, that they were “intimidated” and disturbing “serious” “world economic”.
Scott Bessed replied that the Chinese economic model, which prioritizes exports, “is not viable” and hurts both China and the rest of the world.