Donald Trump wants to be “very nice” in the customs dispute with China

US President Donald Trump does not want to fight with hard bandages in the trade dispute with China. “No, we will be very nice. You will be very nice and we will see what happens,” said Trump when swearing in the new stock market supervisor Paul Atkins. But ultimately Beijing has to get involved with an agreement, because otherwise China will not be able to act with the United States. “And if you don’t make a deal, we will determine the deal because we are the ones who determine the deal,” emphasized Trump. “It will be a fair deal for everyone, and it will, I think it’s a process that will go pretty quickly,” said Trump, but left open whether he also meant other countries.

Previously, the spokeswoman for the White House Karoline Leavitt had stated at a press conference that the United States is coming up with China with regard to a possible trade agreement. She spoke to Trump shortly before and the president wanted her to tell everyone.

There are now 18 proposals from more than 100 countries that aimed at an agreement with the United States of America, and the president and the government created the prerequisites for an agreement with China, said Leavitt. She did not want to comment on whether Trump spoke to China’s head of state Xi Jinping.

Trump had already said last Thursday that he was going to an agreement in the customs dispute with China. “We are confident that we will work out something with China,” said the Republican at an appointment in the Oval Office. China has already contacted the US government several times and there were very good conversations.

According to media reports, US Finance Minister Scott Bessent announced an early de-escalation in the customs dispute with China. Bessent said investors at a meeting behind closed doors that the tariffs at the current level were not durable, reported, among other things, the US broadcaster CNBC, citing one participant. Accordingly, with a view to China, Bessent is said to have said that it was not the goal of US President Donald Trump to be isolating.

Trump had escalated the trade conflict at the beginning of the month by the collection of tariffs against numerous countries. In the meantime, he ordered a 90-day break of the serves. Special tariffs of up to 145 percent still apply only against China. Beijing fought back and raised 125 percent tariffs on goods from the USA.