Commerce chief Wilbur Ross says no date for next round of US-China talks

Trump delayed some new duties without getting concessions from Beijing, commerce secretary says

Next step in long-running negotiations is ‘perhaps another phone call in a couple of weeks’, Ross adds

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US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer shakes hands with China's Vice-Premier Liu He in Shanghai in July as US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin looks on. Photo: AFP

Published: 2:50am, 15 Aug 2019Updated: 2:49am, 15 Aug 2019

This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Doug Palmer on politico.com on August 14, 2019.

US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross suggested on Wednesday that the United States and China have not determined when to hold their next round of face-to-face trade talks.

“I don’t believe a date has been set,” Ross said in an interview on CNBC. Instead, the next step in the long-running negotiations is “perhaps another phone call in a couple of weeks”.

He made the remarks one day after US President Donald Trump's administration announced it would delay a new 10 per cent tariff on about US$160 billion worth of Chinese goods until December 15 to avoid any price hikes on goods such as cellphones, laptops and video game consoles before the Christmas holiday.

The move had temporarily bolstered investors’ confidence about an easing in the trade war between the two major economic powers. But by Wednesday, traders seemed to have renewed worries about a looming recession. As of 1pm, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down more the 700 points while the broader S&P 500 index fell 2.75 per cent.

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