US President Donald Trump said he is open to lowering tariffs on Chinese imports, hinting at a potential softening in trade tensions between the US and China.
In an interview aired Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press with Kristen Welker, Trump stated, “At some point, I’m going to lower them because otherwise you could never do business with them.”
Trump insisted that China is eager to return to the negotiating table, citing severe economic consequences from the ongoing trade war.
“They want to do business very much. Their economy is collapsing,” he said.
The tit-for-tat tariff battle has driven US duties on Chinese goods to 145% and prompted Chinese retaliatory tariffs reaching 125% on American products.
The dispute has begun to impact China’s economy significantly.
According to official data, factory activity in April marked its steepest decline in 16 months, and new export orders dropped to their lowest level since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022.
Despite the economic toll, Trump emphasised he would not take the first step in easing restrictions.
“You’re not dropping the tariffs against China to get them to the negotiating table?” asked Welker. “Why would I do that?” Trump replied.
On Friday, China’s Commerce Ministry acknowledged that it is reviewing proposals from the US to restart trade negotiations.
However, a ministry spokesperson said Trump must first cancel the ‘unilateral tariff hikes’ before any formal talks can proceed.
While aboard Air Force One on Sunday, Trump told reporters he had no scheduled call with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Still, he noted that “China and our people are talking about different things.”
Trump reiterated his goal of reaching a ‘fair’ trade deal and accused China of exploiting the US economically for years.
He said his administration is negotiating with ‘almost every country’ and hinted that it could announce some deals within the week.
“At the end of this, I’ll set my own deals because I set the deal, they don’t set the deal,” Trump said. “At a certain point, I’ll be just setting a certain tariff number.”
In the same interview, Trump indicated he may once again extend the deadline for ByteDance, the Chinese parent company of TikTok, to divest its US operations.
Under a law passed in 2024 during President Biden’s term, ByteDance must sell its US TikTok assets or face a ban over national security concerns.
Trump acknowledged the platform’s significance and its role in his 2024 campaign. “TikTok is very interesting, but it will be protected,” he said.
He also revealed a ‘sweet spot’ for the app, noting its popularity among young voters who supported him.
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