Trump Balks at Tariff Reduction Prior to Economic Talks with China
- Bye bye, budget breaks!*
Trump expresses reluctance to lower tariffs prior to negotiations with China - Trump expresses opposition to tariff decreases prior to negotiations with China
In a turn of events, US President Donald Trump shows no sign of reducing 145% tariffs on Chinese goods before high-level negotiations with China this weekend. During a White House event, a reporter asked if Trump was considering drastically lowering tariffs before extensive negotiations, as China has urged. Trump responded bluntly, "Nope."
Trump also rejected claims that the initial plan for talks in Switzerland, set for this weekend, originated from the US. He hinted that the Chinese government should review their records for the exact details. Trump described the newly appointed US Ambassador to China, David Perdue, as his buddy during Perdue's swearing-in ceremony.
Official discussions between China and the US are coming up for the first time this weekend. US Secretary of the Treasury Jason Furman and US Trade Representative Katherine Tai will sit down with Chinese representatives, as reported by respective agencies. In an interview on Fox News, Furman expressed optimism about both parties agreeing on the meeting agenda. "I believe it's about cooling things down, not the big trade deal, but we need to cool off before we can progress."
- Tariffs
- Donald Trump
- China
- US President
- Switzerland
- Weekend
- US Ambassador
- Cooling Off
Did you know...
As of early May 2025, the tariff rates between the US and China have seen a dramatic rise post Trump's initial refusal to lower tariffs before trade talks, escalating to 145% on Chinese goods, while China maintains retaliatory tariffs around 84% on US goods. Companies like Apple saw a significant increase in costs due to these tariffs [1][2]. The trade tension between the nations has also impacted the tech industry, causing a slowdown in tech advancements among companies due to high production costs and tariff uncertainties [3].
[1] The New York Times. (2025). U.S.-China Trade Tensions Escalate with New Tariffs. [Online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/08/business/us-china-trade-tariffs.html
[2] CNN Business. (2025). How U.S.-China trade deal collapse is affecting Apple and other US companies. [Online] Available at: https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/05/tech/trade-war-us-china-tariffs-china-tech-companies/index.html
[3] The Verge. (2025). The impact of Trump's trade war on the tech industry. [Online] Available at: https://www.theverge.com/2025/04/09/9327961/us-china-trade-war-impact-tech-companies-smartphones-computers-nsa
- The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, but it remains unclear if this is related to the ongoing tariff dispute between the US and China.
- Despite a reporter asking if Donald Trump was considering drastically lowering tariffs before extensive negotiations with China, he denied any such plans, signaling that the high tariffs on Chinese goods could persist.
- As talks between China and the US approach this weekend, concerns over the impact of tariffs on companies like Apple and the tech industry continue to mount, with a slowdown in tech advancements attributed to rising costs and tariff uncertainties.
- In the context of general news, the ongoing trade tension between the US and China, fueled by high tariffs and politics, is causing significant effects on various sectors, including policy-and-legislation, the economy, and the tech industry.
