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Khushboo Razdan

US President Donald Trump has signalled he may lower tariffs on Chinese goods to 80 per cent from the current rate of 145 per cent, as Chinese and American trade officials prepare to meet in Switzerland.
“80% tariff on China seems right,” he said in a social media post.
Trump added that the decision was “up to” US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, without giving any further detail.
It remained unclear whether the US president was suggesting temporary cuts, allowing time for negotiations or referring to a long-term arrangement.
Bessent is scheduled to meet with China’s top economic official, Vice-Premier He Lifeng, in Switzerland on Saturday.


In a separate post, Trump urged China to open its market to the US, saying such a move would be “good for them”.
Trump’s latest comments underscore the high stakes he faces in trade talks with Beijing, as supply-chain disruptions and rising consumer costs loom and investors fear the return of market volatility that accompanied the tariff escalation the US leader unleashed last month.
Standing out as the highest rate among major US trading partners, the 145 per cent tariff package targeting Beijing includes a 125 per cent “reciprocal” tariff against what he has called China’s unfair trade practices plus a 20 per cent levy for what Trump calls the country’s role in America’s opioid crisis.
On April 2, Trump announced sweeping reciprocal tariffs on all US trading partners but quickly paused them for 90 days after the move sparked market turmoil.
However, a universal 10 per cent tariff stayed in effect and the pause did not apply to China, which was excluded as a punitive measure in response to Beijing’s retaliatory actions.
In recent weeks, Trump has made claims about holding talks with Chinese officials, while Beijing has denied any such engagement.
The coming meeting on Saturday is widely seen as an icebreaker and first step in easing economic tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
On Thursday, Trump suggested he could lower tariffs on China following the talks and hinted at a possible phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Stocks responded positively to the US president’s proposal to lower tariffs on China in anticipation of the negotiations in Switzerland.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 111 points or 0.3 per cent. The S&P 500 gained 0.4 per cent, and the Nasdaq Composite traded 0.6 per cent higher.
“Many Trade Deals in the hopper, all good (GREAT!) ones!” Trump posted on social media just minutes before markets opened on Friday.

American ports have been significantly impacted by Trump’s tariffs, with the Port of Los Angeles, where 40 per cent of the business is tied to China, reported a 35 per cent drop in cargo this week compared to the same time last year.
Asked about the loss of port jobs on Thursday, Trump called the development “good”.
“That means we lose less money. … When you say it slowed down, that’s a good thing, not a bad thing,” he said during a press conference announcing a new trade agreement with Britain.
Trump touted the deal with London as a model of the kind of “fair” arrangement he seeks from China, advising Beijing to open its market to American products like Britain.
The White House in a statement said Britain would “reduce or eliminate” discriminatory non-tariff barriers against American products and “significantly” expand access for US agricultural exports.
Many more deals are said to be in negotiations, with countries like India, Japan and South Korea reportedly nearing deals.
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will also attend Saturday’s meeting in Switzerland. In Trump’s first term, Greer was involved in negotiating the phase-one trade deal with China that was signed in 2020 after being negotiated for a year.
The agreement requiring China to buy more than US$500 billion worth of American products in the next two years did not last long after former US president Joe Biden took office in 2021.
In February, Greer told the Senate Finance Committee that as the country’s top trade envoy he would try to revive Washington’s phase-one trade deal with Beijing to ensure “fair” market access for American producers.
Justin Wolfers of the University of Michigan said in a social media post on Friday that the US was “currently on track for tariffs to (roughly) land at 10 per cent on most countries and 60% on China – pretty much what Trump said during the campaign”.
“If so, the upheaval and paralysing uncertainty of the past 4 months will have been nothing but pointlessly destructive theatre,” Wolfers added.
Jostein Hauge of the University of Cambridge cited China’s increased exports to Asia and Europe in April in saying the country “has reduced its dependence on the US market”. Because of this, he added, “Trump’s tariffs simply can’t do that much damage to China”.


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US-China trade war

Trump says 80% tariff on China imports ‘seems right’ ahead of high-level talks

US President Donald Trump announces a trade deal with Britain in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

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Does US-UK deal improve Trump administration’s position ahead of trade talks with China?

Shipping containers are stacked at a port in Shanghai on Friday. Photo: AFP

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Vehicles for export are parked at a port in Pyeongtaek, South Korea. Photo: AP

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China’s President Xi Jinping waves as he departs from Phnom Penh International Airport on April 18. Photo: Pool/AFP

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China and the US are set to have preliminary trade talks in Switzerland this weekend. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s top negotiator strikes bullish tone on economy ahead of US trade talks

Vice-Premier He Lifeng will lead the Chinese delegation set to meet with US officials to discuss a trade deal in Switzerland this weekend. Photo: Reuters

Vice-Premier He Lifeng (third from right) meets with representatives from the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority in Beijing on Wednesday. Photo: Xinhua

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Decision is ‘up to’ US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, American president adds, without elaborating


Decision is ‘up to’ US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, American president adds, without elaborating.


Trump says 80% tariff on China imports ‘seems right’ ahead of high-level talks

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Decision is ‘up to’ US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, American president adds, without elaborating

Decision is ‘up to’ US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, American president adds, without elaborating