US says ‘clear’ China hasn’t met trade deal commitments, with ‘unflinchingly honest’ talks ongoing
- China pledged to increase purchases of US farm and manufactured goods, energy and services by US$200 billion above 2017 levels during 2020 and 2021
- But deputy US Trade Representative (USTR) Sarah Bianchi said on Tuesday that ‘it is really clear that the Chinese haven’t met their commitment’ under the phase-one trade deal.
China has failed to meet its commitments under a two-year phase-one trade deal that expired at the end of 2021, and discussions are continuing with Beijing on the matter, deputy US Trade Representative (USTR) Sarah Bianchi said on Tuesday.
“You know, it is really clear that the Chinese haven’t met their commitment in phase one. That’s something we’re trying to address,” Bianchi told a virtual forum hosted by the Washington International Trade Association.
In the deal signed by former president Donald Trump in January 2020, China pledged to increase purchases of US farm and manufactured goods, energy and services by US$200 billion above 2017 levels during 2020 and 2021.
The deal prevented the escalation of a nearly three-year trade war between the world’s two largest economies, but left in place tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of imports on both sides of the Pacific.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack in late January told lawmakers that China’s purchases of US farm goods fell short of the phase one goal by around US$13 billion.
The US Census bureau is expected to release final 2021 trade data for goods and services next week, which will provide specifics on the shortfall.