Donald Trump says US-China trade talks were ‘very productive’ after briefing
- President tweets his thoughts after meeting his trade team at Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida
- Says ‘Billions of Dollars are being paid to the United States by China in the form of Trade Tariffs’
US President Donald Trump received an update on the US-China trade talks on Saturday at his Florida retreat after discussions in Beijing saw progress ahead of a March 1 deadline for reaching a deal.
Trump, at his Mar-a-Lago club, was briefed in person by US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, White House Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney and trade expert Peter Navarro, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, economic adviser Larry Kudlow and other aides joined by phone.
The White House offered no other details.
Both the United States and China reported progress in five days of negotiations in Beijing this week but the White House said much work remained to be done to force changes in Chinese trade behaviour.
Soon after the Florida meeting, Trump said on Twitter: “Trade negotiators have just returned from China where the meetings on Trade were very productive … In the meantime, Billions of Dollars are being paid to the United States by China in the form of Trade Tariffs!”
At a White House press conference on Friday, Trump said the talks with China were “very complicated” and that he might extend the March 1 deadline and keep tariffs on Chinese goods from rising.
US duties on US$200 billion worth of Chinese imports are set to rise to 25 per cent from 10 per cent if a deal is not reached by March 1 to address US demands that China curb forced technology transfers and better enforce intellectual property rights.