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US-China trade war
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US tariff probe unlikely to derail fall Xi-Trump meeting: analysts

Experts say both sides remain focused on trade negotiations and new tariff-free mechanisms despite fresh investigations

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Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) and US President Donald Trump agreed in May to establish the boards of trade and investment to facilitate tariff-free trade in selected non-sensitive sectors. Photo: Reuters
Nayan Sethin Washington

The ongoing US tariff investigations against China and Washington’s other trading partners are unlikely to significantly impair bilateral ties or the planned meeting in September between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, analysts said on Monday.

“China is just one of a group of countries. So it’s less insulting to China,” said Wei Liang, a professor at the Middlebury Institute for International Studies at Monterey.

The Trump administration has launched two major Section 301 probes: a forced labour investigation involving 60 countries and an excess capacity inquiry targeting 16 nations. Both probes include China alongside key US trading partners, including the EU, Japan, South Korea and India.
The proposed tariffs are widely viewed as an attempt by the administration to reinstate import levies after the US Supreme Court struck down its expansive tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) in February.

China on Friday expressed “strong dissatisfaction” over the ongoing probes and warned of “necessary measures”.

“By once again abusing the Section 301 process and placing domestic law above international rules, the US is making a serious mistake,” the Chinese embassy in Washington said.

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