Trade dispute
USA and China Misitement Decision on Customs Pause
The trade dispute between the USA and China is still not included. How an agreed customs break will continue remains unclear after talks in Stockholm. Now Trump is on the train.
In its ongoing trade dispute, the United States and China do not want to commit a possible extension of a customs break that soon expires. After two -day trade talks in Stockholm, both sides left open whether the break would be extended again. The current break expires on August 12th.
The US trade representative Jamieson Greer announced at a press conference in the evening with regard to the customs break to first return to Washington. One will speak to US President Donald Trump, whether it is something he wanted to do. US Finance Minister Scott Bessent said at his side: “Nothing has been agreed until we spoke to President Trump.”
After the talks, China’s trade representative Li Chengang said, according to the official news agency Xinhua, that both sides will continue to work for an “continued extension” of the customs break. However, he also did not provide any information on when and for how long such an extension could come into force. There was an open and constructive exchange. Both sides are aware of the importance of stable and reliable economic relationships.
Trade dispute has been smoldering for months
Delegations of the two largest economies in the world had come together on Monday in the Swedish capital for new discussions about their customs conflict. Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson received both the Chinese Vice Prime Minister He Lifeng and shortly afterwards Besser and Greer in front of a government building in the center of the city. The aim of the two -day negotiations was to defuse the trading dispute that had been smoldering for months.
In advance, the newspaper “South China Morning Post”, which appeared in Hong Kong, reported that both sides could agree on a 90-day extension of the currently applicable customs break. Bessent had also explained that a continuation of the agreement expiring on August 12 – a decision on this now seems to be postponed.
US tariffs of up to 145 percent
Since April, the United States has gradually increased the import duties on Chinese goods up to 145 percent. China reacted to strategically important raw materials with counter -tariffs of up to 125 percent and imposed export controls. In May, both sides in Geneva agreed on a 90-day suspension of the new tariffs. Further talks in London followed in June.
According to observers, an extension of the break could help to avoid escalation of the trade disputes and to create the prerequisites for a possible meeting between President Donald Trump and XI Jinping later this year. A direct conversation between the two heads of state is crucial in order to infect political guidelines beyond technical details.
Dispute is not just about tariffs itself
The tensions go far beyond the question of tariffs. Beijing criticizes US export controls for semiconductors and AI chips that make Chinese companies access to modern technology. Washington, in turn, accuses China of specifically holding certain raw materials back.
Despite the hard tones, both governments recently broadcast signals. China was open to progress. In an editorial of the state “Volkszeitung”, the communist party’s mouthpiece, it was said that Beijing was ready to make substantial progress with Washington. China continues to rely on a constructive dialogue.
Unlike many other states, China reacted to the punitive tariffs introduced by the United States under Trump with immediate counter -oils from the start. Beijing waived one -sided concessions and instead consistently relied on corresponding retaliation.
dpa
Source: Stern
