President Donald Trump said he would sign what he called a “very large and comprehensive” initial trade deal with China on January 15.
Trump had previously said the two leaders would have a signing ceremony for Phase One next month. Through the deal, first announced on December 13, China will increase purchases of American farm goods and be subject to lower tariffs on some goods.
The U.S. and China reached the deal after almost two years of an escalating trade war between the world’s largest economies. The U.S. said it would decrease current tariffs and cancel new tariffs. China will increase purchases of U.S. goods and services.
The White House will leave 25 percent tariffs on $250 billion in Chinese goods in place but halve tariffs to 7.5 percent on $120 billion in products such as smartphones.
Trump said he will go to Beijing to begin talks on the second phase of the trade deal "at a later date."
For President Donald Trump, tariffs — or the threat of them — can bend nations to his will.
President Donald Trump said he has decided to lower his combined tariff rates on imports of Chinese goods to 47% after talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping on curbing fentanyl trafficking.
The Federal Reserve cut its key interest rate Wednesday for a second time this year as it seeks to shore up economic growth and hiring even as inflation stays elevated. The move comes amid a fraught time for the central bank, with hiring sluggish and yet inflation stuck above the Fed’s 2% target. Compounding its challenges, the central bank is navigating without much of the economic data it typically relies on from the government. The Fed has signaled it may reduce its key rate again in December but the data drought raises the uncertainty around its next moves. Fed Chair Jerome Powell told reporters that there were “strongly differing views” at the central bank's policy meeting about to proceed going forward.
U.S. and Chinese officials say a trade deal between the world’s two largest economies is drawing closer. The sides have reached an initial consensus for President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping to aim to finalize during their high-stakes meeting Thursday in South Korea. Any agreement would be a relief to international markets. Trump's treasury secretary says discussions with China yielded preliminary agreements to stop the precursor chemicals for fentanyl from coming into the United States. Scott Bessent also says Beijing would make “substantial” purchases of soybean and other agricultural products while putting off export controls on rare earth elements needed for advanced technologies.
A new poll finds most U.S. adults are worried about health care becoming more expensive.
The White House budget office says mass firings of federal workers have started in an attempt to exert more pressure on Democratic lawmakers as the government shutdown continues.
