¡®China has to make a deal¡¯: Donald Trump says tariffs will drop, but Beijing must act first
Donald Trump says the U.S. will be ¡°very nice¡± to China in trade talks, but insists China ¡°has to make a deal¡± to continue trade access. As tariffs remain high, the Trump administration signals future cuts while formal negotiations remain pending.
US President Donald Trump said he plans to be ¡°very nice¡± to China in any future trade talks. Speaking from Washington, Trump added that ¡°ultimately they have to make a deal because otherwise they¡¯re not going to be able to deal in the US.¡± His latest statement shows a softer tone toward Beijing, despite the ongoing tensions over tariffs and trade.
Tariffs likely to drop
Trump said the current 145% tariff rate on Chinese imports won¡¯t stay that high. ¡°145% is very high, and it won¡¯t be that high,¡± he told reporters. ¡°It¡¯ll come down substantially. But it won¡¯t be zero ¨C used to be zero. We were just destroyed. China was taking us for a ride.¡± The Trump administration had previously exempted key electronics like smartphones and semiconductors from a portion of the tariffs, but a general 20% tariff remains in place, linked to concerns over fentanyl.
No formal talks yet
US President Donald Trump | Credit: X
Despite Trump¡¯s optimistic statements, formal trade negotiations with China are not happening at the moment. Beijing has indicated that it wants several steps from the U.S. government before agreeing to sit down at the table. Chinese officials were particularly displeased with past comments made by Vice President JD Vance, including his statement about ¡°Chinese peasants,¡± which a diplomat described as ¡°ignorant and disrespectful.¡±
Setting the stage
While no official communication has been reported between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the administration believes progress is being made. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Tuesday that more than 100 countries have approached the U.S. since the announcement of universal tariffs, with 18 submitting formal proposals. However, China is not on that list.
Still, Leavitt maintained a positive outlook: ¡°We¡¯re doing very well with regard to a potential trade deal with China,¡± she said, adding that the administration is ¡°setting the stage¡± for an agreement in the future.
As both countries face high tariffs and no active negotiations, Trump¡¯s recent comments highlight a balancing act ¨C extending a cooperative tone while still pressuring China to strike a deal. The path forward may depend not just on economic strategy, but also on how both sides handle public fury and diplomatic signals.
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Nancy Jaiswal is a journalist who started her career in reporting and has covered both hard and soft news. From serious city news developments to lighthearted lifestyle pieces, she has written on almost everything hapenning in India (except maybe alien invasions¡ªyet!). For her, writing isn¡¯t just work; it¡¯s a passion, an obsession, and sometimes the reason she forgets to reply to texts.
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